The Way We Will Be
by TheCartoonFanatic01
Summary: A fateful encounter with a certain Legendary Pokémon sends seven-year-old Sarah Ketchum back in time, and now, in order to return home, she must rely on two complete strangers whom she thought she'd never meet: her parents, almost two decades younger. Unfortunately, no adventure is without its obstacles. AmourShipping, Ash/Serena! R&R!
1. A New Generation

**A/N:** I know this isn't the sequel to "Separation" that I've mentioned, but considering that production for that story is still ongoing (it's a very complex story), I have decided to write a different story to pass the time while I'm working, since I haven't been writing for so long and I'm now busy with college. As for where the idea for this story came from, I was actually inspired by several AdvanceShipping stories I read, all of which involved the future and a family between Ash and May. Since the growing realm of AmourShipping fanfiction has yet to have a future story (as far as I know), I decided to change that.

A particular source of influence happened to be the AdvanceShipping story "Future, Battles and Family" by AlcheLuna, which I read when I was still in middle school. I still remembered its concept, which was very interesting, and so I decided to partially adapt it for AmourShipping. So yeah, credits to it! :D

Regarding the length of this story, it will depend on how long I continue to work on the sequel for "Separation". I am seriously not kidding when I say it's complex, so therefore, as I said, it will depend on my progress. For now, I expect the story to be around 10-20 chapters, generally speaking. Definitely not meant to be one of my longer stories, since it's primarily meant to fill up spare time for me and keep me entertained as I work on the sequel. I hope to have fun in writing this story, though.

Alright, enough chitchat! On with the story. ENJOY!

**Disclaimer:** All forms of "Pokémon" DO NOT belong to me in any way! All rights go to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Game Freak, and Pokémon Company International!

* * *

><p><strong>Galope City<br>The Kalos region  
>Eighteen years in the future<strong>

The seven-year-old girl with flowing, sleek honey-colored hair shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat as her mother drove it down the smooth cobblestone road. Peeking curiously through the passenger window, the girl watched as the pedestrians and their Pokémon passed by them. As soon as one of the pedestrians randomly glanced at the car, however, she immediately ducked down, as if the man's very stare would be the death of her.

"Mommy," she said, "do we really have to watch Jenna race?"

"Of course, Sarah," the mother replied. "After all, your older sister needs all of the support for this final race. Don't you want Jenna to win?"

"_Yeah_... But there's gonna be so many people over there..." Sarah wrapped her arms around her torso protectively. "It'll be so _scary_..."

Sarah's mother looked at her, smiling her usual bright, warm smile. "Come on, Sarah, it's not like any of those people are gonna attack you. All you have to do is stick with me or Alex once we're there, and you'll be fine." She then looked back at the road, and her smile widened. "Oh, good! We're almost there!"

Sarah felt herself shrinking in her seat in apprehension. For her entire life, she never worked well with being around other people, especially if there were so many of them at once. Outside of the children she knew at school, everyone else she saw in her life were usually so tall and mighty, and to be around people of such a height was extremely intimidating for her. It was especially terrible if any of those people were to look at her and address her; at that point, she'd sorely want to disappear...

The seven-year-old had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice her mother park the car until she was finally addressed to.

"Sarah, we're here! Come on!"

Sarah merely moaned in response. However, her mother smiled a tiny smile as she reached towards the backseat and picked up a straw hat with a pink bow on it.

"Here, honey," she said as she placed the hat on her daughter's head. As Sarah looked at her, she examined her, and her grin widened. "You look adorable, Sarah!"

"Thank you, Mommy..." replied Sarah reluctantly. She knew that if she looked adorable, then that meant people would be more inclined to look at her, terrify her...

She immediately followed her mother out of the car, ran up to her side, and took her hand tightly as they both walked towards the local Rhyhorn Racing track. Sarah took quick notice of numerous other people who were walking towards the same entrance as them, and she inched closer towards her mother. Unfortunately, much to her dismay, a nearby family noticed her mother in almost an instant and began whispering curiously among one another.

_"Oh Mommy, why'd you have to wear that pretty dress of yours?..."_ she thought fearfully.

Finally, a teenage girl who was in that group, who had just noticed Sarah's mother, squealed, "OH MY ARCEUS, IT'S SERENA YATES!"

Everyone who was within earshot turned their heads and noticed Sarah and her mother too. Clamoring excitedly, a crowd consisting mostly of girls formed around the two in seconds. Frightened by the excessive amount of attention, Sarah held her mother's skirt tightly as the latter merely chuckled and kindly responded to the cries and questions of her devoted fanbase. It was moments like these that the seven-year-old wished she had her mother's courage and confidence.

"Can I have your autograph, Serena?!" one fan asked.

"Please, oh _please_, let me take a photo of you, Serena!" squealed another.

"I can't believe I actually came face-to-face to you, Serena!"

"I LOVE YOU, SERENA!"

"Please marry me, Serena!" This time, it was a boy who shouted that.

Serena chuckled at the last remark and replied, "Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm already married."

Finally, Sarah giggled for the first time of the day as she watched the boy fall to the ground anime-style, his eyes gushing out tears, his heart shattered. However, her happiness was short-lived the exact moment one of the teenage girls gathered around them noticed her for the first time. A new liveliness appeared in the girl's eyes as she squealed in excitement and enthusiastically pointed at Sarah, causing the child's eyes to widen in horror.

"OH MY ARCEUS, YOU'RE SERENA'S DAUGHTER, AREN'T YOU?!" she shrieked.

One by one, the fans focused their attention on Sarah, causing her to squeak fearfully.

"OH, YOU'RE SO FREAKING **ADORABLE**!" a girl squealed.

"I wish I could have _you_ as my daughter!"

"Oh, you look _just_ like your mother!"

"I know, right? Have you ever thought about following in your mother's footsteps?"

"What's your name, young lady?" asked a kindly older woman.

"Come on, Sarah," whispered Serena, nudging her daughter's shoulder. "Tell the nice lady your name."

"M-M-My n-name's S-S-Sarah..." Sarah stuttered before burying her face in Serena's skirt. Unfortunately, that action drew a great number of "AW!"s from the fans.

"A shy one, isn't she?" the same older woman asked, looking at Serena.

"Yeah," replied Serena. Then, she addressed the entire crowd, "Listen, everyone, I'd love to continue talking with you, but I'm here to watch my other daughter. She's one of the jockeys in this race and I'd rather not miss out on her race. It was a pleasure meeting all of you! Come on, Sarah."

The crowd parted in order to give Serena and Sarah enough room to walk through them. As they passed one fan after another, they either continued expressing their love for Serena or doting on Sarah, causing her to look down at the ground. Finally, after what seemed like hours for Sarah, the two managed to get out of the crowd and continued onward towards the ticket booth, where several lines were. However, they disregarded the lines and immediately walked towards the entrance.

"Hi there," Serena greeted as she approached the security guard at the entrance, showing him two pink tickets. "We have two free passes."

"Oh, thank you," replied the guard as he took the tickets from her. "Enjoy the race, Ms. Yates."

Serena nodded in response as she guided Sarah through the entrance. Instead of going out onto the stands, the two took a stairwell to the left, traveling up a couple of floors before finally going down a hallway that had only one door located at the opposite end. At Sarah's left were large, well-cleaned windows that overlooked the entire racing track. The seven-year-old girl looked out of said windows, watching as the spectators sat in their seats while the track was being readied.

"So, Jenna's down there, Mommy?" Sarah asked.

"Huh?" Serena followed Sarah's gaze, then shook her head. "No, she should be still in the stables..." She then whispered, "...with _that boy_..."

However, Sarah heard her mother well enough. "Mommy, why do you not like Jimmy? I think he's a very nice person."

"Oh, if only you knew, honey..." replied Serena. "If only you knew. Then, you'd understand..."

The two reached the end of the hallway, and Serena opened the door for Sarah. Inside the private room stood several familiar people, causing Sarah to smile happily upon recognizing them. At least she knew these people already, so there was no need for her to become intimidated by their very presence.

"Uncle Clemont!" she cried. "Auntie Bonnie! Dedenne! Alex! Pichu! You're all here!"

Clemont adjusted his glasses as he walked over to Sarah and hugged her. "Hey there, Sarah!" he greeted happily. "Wow, you look more like your mother each day!"

"Thank you, Uncle Clemont," Sarah replied, grazing her foot along with the ground shyly. Bonnie, in the meantime, had just finished her cup of water before she stood up from her seat and approached Sarah, hugging her as well with her trademark optimistic grin on her face. There was a pronounced lump visible on her abdomen.

"Oh, it's so great to see you again, my lil' Pumpkaboo!" she exclaimed. "How are ya doing?!"

"I'm doing good, Auntie Bonnie."

If Bonnie's grin couldn't get any wider, it just did. "Oh, that's great! Always feel good and do good, like I say!"

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne in agreement, also grinning.

"So, where's Uncle Max, Auntie Bonnie?" asked Sarah as she looked around in search of her other uncle.

"Oh, he's busy with his research today, so he couldn't come to the race. Sorry."

"Oh..." Sarah looked down at the floor glumly; she always liked her Uncle Max.

Fortunately for her, Bonnie added, "But Grandma Grace and Grandpa Meyer are coming over. They say they're caught up in traffic, though, so they're gonna be late."

"Oh, goody!" Sarah was relieved to hear that; she liked meeting up with her grandparents. Then, her attention was recaptured when someone cleared his throat.

"No love for me, little sis? That's very hurtful."

Sarah giggled and glanced at her older brother Alex, who had grown taller and much more rugged the last time she saw him. He looked just like their father, with the exception of his eyes, which were a bright sapphire color just like his mother's. He was wearing the Pokémon League Expo hat he inherited from his father, a hooded blue-and-red jacket with a dark-gray undershirt, and light-blue jeans. Perched on his shoulder was a Pichu, his first Pokémon, which was easily distinguishable by the three spikes on its left ear. Alex and Pichu both smiled as the latter hopped off its Trainer's shoulder and delivered a small ThunderShock to Sarah, its usual greeting.

"H-H-Hi, P-P-Pichu..." stuttered the little girl, still feeling the effects of the ThunderShock.

"Pichu!" Pichu chirped happily. Alex chuckled as he approached his youngest sister and hugged her.

"How are you doing, Sarah?" he asked, his voice low. "Is that Danny kid still bullying you in school? 'Cause I can have Pichu give him a little retake of his lesson!"

"No, it's fine, Alex," Sarah replied as she looked at the adults to see if they were listening in. "Thank you for scaring that meanie!"

Her brother chuckled again and ruffled her hair. "No problem, little sis. Glad to help out. Anyway, can you believe it? Jenna made it to the final races?"

"Yeah." Sarah looked out of the large window that was a part of the private room. "I hope Jenna wins it. After all, she's been working so hard to get this far..."

"So, where's Dad and Aaron, Mom?" Alex asked, turning his attention to Serena.

"Oh, Dad's busy at the Battle Tower, and your brother's still at Hoenn, doing some training," replied Serena. Then, she smiled. "But they said they'll both be watching Jenna's race on TV, so they're not gonna be missing out on anything." She then approached her son and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Alex, my little baby, I missed you!"

"MOM!" groaned Alex in embarrassment, causing Clemont and Bonnie to snicker teasingly. "Please stop calling me that! It's a good thing my friends aren't here yet!"

"Oh yeah, Amber, Sam, and Harrison, I remember them. So, how are those three doing?"

As her mother and older brother continued their conversation, being joined by Clemont and Bonnie, Sarah looked out of the window overlooking the racing track. She knew that her sister was elsewhere in the stadium, getting ready for what she once called one of the most important races of her life.

Then, upon spotting the massive audience in the stands below, Sarah's mind wandered onto another subject. Remembering the crowd of squealing fans that gathered around her and her mother outside, she wondered how her sister was able to handle the pressure of thousands of spectators watching her every move. If she were in her exact position, then Sarah might have as well died of a heart attack on the spot. She never, ever was the best with having all the attention on her, unless it came in small doses and from people she already knew and trusted. It sometimes actually made her rather jealous of the rest of her confident extended family.

Sarah sighed and shook her head. She knew that she couldn't be thinking about this. After all, Jenna needed her support, and she couldn't let her older sister down.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the racing track, a lone man with a muscular physique, spiky brownish-yellow hair, and yellow eyes approached one of the ticket booths. He was wearing a dark-gray tank-top, dark-brown sunglasses, a yellow waistcoat, a red cap, and light-brown cargo pants, and clutched tightly in his hand was a small Pokémon cage. Inside was what seemed to be an unusually large Zigzagoon, although people nearby barely took any notice of the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon.<p>

"Here for the race, mister?" the woman at his ticket booth asked, flashing a friendly smile.

"Yeah, that's right," replied the strange man in a gruff, intimidating voice, although the woman wasn't daunted; instead, her smile widened.

"May I see your ticket, please?"

The man promptly raised a green ticket, looking around as he did so. The woman nodded, took the ticket, looked at it for a few moments, and glanced at the cage.

"So, that's your Zigzagoon?" she asked.

"Yes."

The woman nodded again before looking at the cage again, then writing something incomprehensible down on a list. Next, she placed a stamp on the ticket, followed by another stamp on the new handwriting on the list, and gave the ticket back to the man. All the while, she was still smiling.

"Enjoy the Rhyhorn Race, Mr. Parker," she said.

"Thank you, ma'am," replied Parker, tipping his cap at her.

"I must say, that's one big Zigzagoon you've got there."

"I raise my Pokémon to be the largest there ever was," Parker said quickly before leaving the booth and approaching the entrance, where the security guard was.

"Ticket?" the guard asked.

Parker showed the ticket for the uniformed man to see. After confirming the stamp, the guard then glanced at the cage.

"This your Zigzagoon?"

"Yes, sir."

"And it's cleared to enter the racing track?"

"Yes, sir."

The guard raised an eyebrow at the Zigzagoon, which remained motionless. "That's one big Zigzagoon you've got there, sir."

"Well, I'm very lucky to have this rascal, then," replied Parker, chuckling optimistically.

After the guard let him pass the entrance, Parker looked around to see if anyone was watching him, then walked towards a nearby stairwell. However, before he could go down the stairs, he suddenly felt his Holo Caster vibrate in his pocket. Grabbing it and activating it, Parker calmly watched as the small hologram of a balding man with piercing red eyes quickly materialized. The man frowned and raised an eyebrow at Parker as he leaned in slightly.

"Do you have the Pokémon I requested?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," replied Parker. "I've got it secure. I am on my way at the location where we're supposed to meet."

"Well, you're gonna have to wait. I happen to be stuck in serious traffic and I won't be at the track until another half-hour at least. Make sure it doesn't get away."

Parker's grip on the cage tightened. "Do not worry, sir. It will not leave my sight as long as I am breathing."

"It had better!"

And with that, the hologram disappeared from the Holo Caster, which Parker quickly put away. He looked around to see if anyone overheard the conversation, then at the cage containing the large Zigzagoon. It continued to remain motionless, although it seemed that something was stirring from _inside it_...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Oh what, oh whatever is wrong with that Zigzagoon? Only the next couple of chapters shall tell!

Probably not one of my best intros for a story, but I think things will get better for me as time passes with this story. I have a feeling I'm gonna love writing lil' Sarah, though; I can easily imagine her, and she's so adorable I wanna pinch her cheeks! :D Anyway, the next couple of chapters will expand more on what has happened in eighteen years' time and how our heroes have wound up into these positions before the true action begins! I do hope to see good things out of this story.

Oh, and I promise y'all, this story will obviously feature much more hardcore AmourShipping, unlike "Separation". Complete with confessions and all. Just saying.

Well, hope you enjoyed this first chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	2. Beware the Pokemon Poacher

**A/N:** Hey, y'all! Thanks for the positive response you all left for the last chapter! It's definitely inspired me to go on ahead with this story. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** I had been planning on posting this earlier, but my Internet crashed for a couple of days and it took my dad a while to fix it. Just so you know.

* * *

><p><strong>Rhyhorn Stables<br>****The Galope City Rhyhorn Racing Track**

Sarah continued to hold on to her mother's hand as she and Alex strolled into the stables, where all of the jockeys were preparing their Rhyhorn for the race. Clemont and Bonnie had decided to stay behind at the private room, explaining their absence. However, Sarah wished the two of them came along as well; once again, fans of her mother spotted the three while on their way to the stables and swarmed around them like ants coming to food. The seven-year-old knew that she would have felt much more safer if Clemont and Bonnie were also there to support and protect her from the rabid, yelling fans...

She began sniffing at the air and flinched for a brief moment, having immediately recognized the hallmark stenches of the Rhyhorn stables. However, the seven-year-old girl managed to ignore it as Serena, Alex, and her continued further into the room. After a minute, they spotted the jockey they were looking for: a girl with sleek brown hair and shining brown eyes that would dazzle just about any boy who would come across her. Sarah smiled and let go of Serena's hand, running up to the girl.

"Jenna, Jenna, Jenna!" she cried happily, causing the jockey to turn around. Upon spotting her, the older girl smiled.

"Oh, Sarah!" squealed Jenna, kneeling down to hug her younger sister. "It's good to see you! My Arceus, you look _so_ pretty today with your hat and dress!"

"Thank you, Jenna!" Sarah broke away from her sister. "Good luck on your race!"

"Thanks, Sarah. I'm sorry if you had to come here to see me. I know how you're still pretty scared of being around a lot of strangers."

The seven-year-old looked down at the ground. "Well, as long as I'm watching my sister win, then it's okay."

"Aw, that's sweet, Sarah." The brown-haired jockey then looked up, and her smile widened upon spotting Alex. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my stupid little brother."

Alex sighed and shrugged dismissively. "Um, five minutes older than you, sis, remember that."

Jenna laughed as she stood up and hugged her brother. "Oh yeah, well, your behavior doesn't match up to that. My Arceus, who throws a huge temper tantrum like a mad Mankey after having their chocolate bar stolen from them by a Taillow?" She smirked. "Oh, my little brother, that's who."

"Oh, ha ha ha. I see you haven't changed one bit since I last saw you."

"Neither have you." Jenna then looked at Pichu, who was perched on its Trainer's shoulder. "Oh, hello Pichu!"

"Pichu!" chirped the Tiny Mouse Pokémon happily as it leaped from Alex's shoulder to Jenna's. "Pichu, Pichu!"

"It's good to see you too, Pichu." The jockey began stroking Pichu's chin, causing it to coo. "I hope babysitting Alex hasn't gotten you all tired out."

"Oh, ha ha ha." Alex rolled his eyes before patting his sister on the shoulder. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Then, the corner of Jenna's eye caught Serena, who was standing nearby, and the teenage girl frowned bitterly. "Oh hello, _Mother_."

"Well," replied Serena, her arms crossed, "I am just gonna ignore that tone and get on right to the point. I wish you good luck on your race, Jenna."

"Why, thank you." However, Jenna's voice was laced with evident sarcasm, and she turned away, muttering, "Great. Now you jinxed it for me-"

"I heard that, Jenna," Serena interrupted flatly. Sarah and Alex both immediately knew where this conversation was going to lead to. And it wasn't going to be pretty. Pichu sensed the magnitude of the situation as well and hopped off of Jenna's shoulder and to the ground, walking over to Jenna's Rhyhorn.

"Yeah, that's great, _Mother_. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get to my race-"

Serena blinked, unsatisfied. "The race doesn't start until another hour, Jenna."

Jenna turned around. "Yeah, I know. So, what're you gonna do, _Mother_? Ask me if I'm still dating Jimmy? Well, no doubt you will, so I'll just say yeah, I still am."

"I cannot believe this!" snapped the honey-haired woman, her sapphire eyes filled with outrage.

The jockey raised a sarcastic eyebrow. "Oh, you're surprised?"

"You _know_ I don't approve of him!" Serena pointed at her daughter, almost accusingly. "You know I forbade you to go out with that boy! Is he here right now, Jenna?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he is, _Mother_. Fortunately for him, he just left the stables and you just missed him." Jenna turned around again to attend to her Rhyhorn. "I don't know why you don't like him. He's a very nice guy. He helped me with Rhyhorn Racing. He taught me everything about it. Without him, I probably wouldn't even be here today, in this final race, with good chances of winning! He hasn't done anything to hurt me, nor is he the type of guy who would do that. ...I love him."

Serena's eyes darkened at the last sentence. "And _I_ love you, Jenna. I don't want you to get hurt by him-"

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!" Jenna screamed, catching the attention of the other jockeys. "JIMMY WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ME! HE LOVES ME, AND I LOVE HIM!"

Sarah inched closer to Alex as her mother and older sister resumed their months-long argument. She did not know why it turned out to be this way. Before this whole conflict with Jimmy, the two loved each other like any mother and teenage daughter would. A slightly rocky relationship, but everything always worked out in the end. But ever since Jimmy started going out with Jenna and Serena voiced her disapproval, the two females have been at each other's throats, and it was upsetting her.

"You're acting like a child," Serena said. "A selfish, careless child, Jenna! And that's only gonna do you harm, you know!"

"YOU CAN'T HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER MY LIFE, _MOTHER_!"

"Yeah? Well, I can. You may be out of the house all of the time, but you're still underage, and that means I'm still responsible for your welfare! And as your mother, I will be so, and there's nothing you can say to convince me to change my mind! The only way we can put this behind us is if you end your relationship with Jimmy!"

"NO! I won't do that! You know, Dad is okay with me and Jimmy going out!" She started looking around frantically. "Where is he? He'll tell you that himself!"

"Your father happens to be very busy at work for the time being, Jenna," Serena replied calmly.

"And you say this to justify the authority you'll put over me? Yeah, I don't think so!"

"I will NOT have this conversation with you any longer!"

Sarah flinched at the sternness and volume of her mother's voice. She had never seen Serena look so angry before...and it was scaring her...

Jenna's chest swelled with defiance as she replied, "Okay, then! Just leave! Because you're gonna get no outcome outside of me and Jimmy still staying together!"

"I am very tired of telling you this, young lady-"

**"STOP IT, STOP IT!"**

The entire stable area went silent as Sarah screamed out those words in her loudest voice possible. Serena and Jenna stared at the young girl in shock as she looked back up at them. Glimmering tears were flowing from her sapphire eyes and down to her cheeks, which were now scarlet.

"YOU TWO ARE ALWAYS FIGHTING, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, **ALWAYS**!" the girl continued screaming. "IT'S...IT'S...IT'S NOT GOOD! I DON'T LIKE IT! WWWAAAHHH!"

Sarah dashed away from the stables, sobbing, her face buried in her palms. Alex gasped in concern.

"Sarah!" he shouted. "Wait a minute, Sarah! Sarah, come back!"

The Trainer immediately sprinted off, followed by Pichu. Serena and Jenna could only watch after the two of them in shock and pity. Then, Jenna glared at her mother.

"Great, now look at what you've done, _Mother_!" she snapped before following her twin brother.

Serena watched the two of them go before glancing at Jenna's Rhyhorn, which had been observing the entire conversation.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rhyhorn," the woman said sadly. When Rhyhorn responded with an understanding nod, Serena then added, "Oh, what am I gonna do about this?..."

* * *

><p>"Sarah?!" called Alex as he, Pichu, and Jenna entered the food court and looked around.<p>

"Sarah, where are you?!" Jenna cried desperately. "SARAH!"

"PICHU PICHU!"

However, the twins could hear nothing distinguishable in the loud cacophony of noises made by the many people in the food court. Hot beads of sweat began to form on their foreheads, for they quickly remembered that Sarah didn't do so well with crowds. He knew that his younger sister would have to stand out sooner or later.

"Hey, Alex!" a familiar voice called.

Alex and Jenna both turned around and saw the former's good friends and traveling companions Amber, Sam, and Harrison walking over towards them, holding food and drinks in their hands. Amber had long, sleek black hair tied in a flowing ponytail with a large red bow, as well as soft, shimmering dark-blue eyes that seemed to indicate an introverted personality; she was wearing a white blouse with a blue vest, a light-blue skirt, and small circular glasses. Sam (short for Samantha) had chin-length light-blue hair and determined dark-red eyes, and was wearing a red shirt, a dark-brown waistcoat, and tight blue jeans. Harrison had slightly long light-brown hair and eyes, and was wearing a light-gray hooded jacket, a black undershirt with a green stripe, dark-brown sunglasses, and baggy brown jeans. Sam and Harrison were smiling brightly at the twins, but as for Amber, she seemed to be blushing, something that had apparently increased as soon as she went near Alex.

"We got the food and drinks, Alex!" Harrison said before spotting Jenna; he winked at her seductively. "Oh hey, Jen-"

"Not interested, Harrison," Jenna replied quickly before asking, "Hey, have you guys seen our sister? She ran off and we can't find her anywhere."

"Sarah ran off?" asked Sam, an eyebrow raised. "In a crowded stadium like this?"

"It's a long story, Sam," Alex replied. "Please, we need you guys to help us find her. The crowds are gonna get to her eventually."

"You got it!" Sam pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it in the air. "Come on out, Growlithe! We need your help!" The Puppy Pokémon appeared and chirped at its Trainer. "Hey Growlithe, you remember Alex's little sister Sarah, right?" Growlithe nodded in response. "Alright, use your sense of smell to find her. She ran off and we cannot find her." Growlithe nodded again and proceeded to sniff the ground, wandering around in multiple directions as the group followed directly behind it.

It didn't take long until Growlithe caught a trail and began going off in a certain direction. Everyone smiled in relief.

"Great job, Growlithe!" Sam exclaimed as she followed her Pokémon. "You found her trail!"

"Ha, yes!" Alex cried in relief. "I knew I could count on you to solve a problem like this one, Sam!"

The fellow Trainer smiled widely and gave her friend a thumbs-up. "You got it, Alex! Anything for you!"

At the corner of her eye, Jenna noticed Amber abruptly twitching and letting out a nearly inaudible grunt. However, she quickly ignored it as she settled her thoughts back onto her innocent little sister, who was undoubtedly somewhere in the stadium, extremely scared and all alone. She couldn't bear to have Sarah experience that.

_"Oh Sarah, I'm sorry if I scared you..."_ she thought as she shook her head. _"Who the heck am I kidding? This is my fault as much as it's Mom's..."_

* * *

><p>Leaning against a wall, Sarah looked down in the strange hallway she was in. She had tried to find the private room Clemont and Bonnie were in, but apparently, she forgot where it was, and now, she was hopelessly lost and standing in this hallway, where no one else was. Unfortunately for her, she had somehow ventured into the stadium's lower floors underneath, and the lights illuminating the rooms and hallways were inefficient and grimy, rendering her environment slightly dark. It was like a horror movie she accidentally watched while her parents were gone and the babysitter was sleeping. For all she knew, there was a monster lurking in the corner...<p>

"I don't like this..." she whimpered. "It's so _scary_..." Her lip trembled, and tears began to flow down her cheeks. "Oh, I wanna go home. I wanna go home! MOMMY!"

However, she received no response, which frightened her even more. Her mother was always there to help, but now that she was actually all alone, she felt helpless.

She knew now that she shouldn't have run away... But she had good reason to...

Sitting down against the wall, Sarah began to think as she wept quietly. ...Serena and Jenna argued again. Every time they did, it felt like her heart was being split in half, mercilessly so. She really wished the two of them could get along again like they always did in the past. Her mind soon flashed back to happier memories of her playing with the both of them whenever Jenna didn't have any Rhyhorn Races to compete in. Those were such fun times for her...

But now, ever since Jenna began dating Jimmy, Serena would not stand for it, and naturally, Jenna rebelled against her mother's wishes. Sarah didn't understand why her mother hated Jimmy. After all, he babysat her a few times with Jenna in-between Rhyhorn Races (without Serena's knowledge, of course), and he was a generous and loving person with absolutely nothing to hide. It didn't take long for her to warm up to him; he might as well be a third older brother to her...

She didn't even get to wish him good luck on the race as well, something she had been planning to do...

Having stopped crying, Sarah wiped her tears and looked down the hallway again. One side led to the staircase she came from, but she had been running down it for so long she did not remember what floor she originally came from. The other side led to a single door with a sign that said 'PARKING LOT', but she knew she was still in the grounds of the racing track and therefore would lead her into one of those underground indoor parking lots, hallmark locations of horror movies. She knew she could not go there; she was too scared to do that. The only other objects present inside the hallway besides her were just a large stack of cardboard boxes, which she was hiding behind. All she could do for the time being was just sit here and hope that someone came for her...

Minutes passed, but to Sarah, they felt like hours. Absolutely no one showed up during that time, and she became unsure if she should find her way back to the food court that she passed on her own. Finally, she stood up, as if preparing to walk, but the girl remained still, leaning against the wall. After more minutes passed, Sarah finally took her first step, specifically towards the staircase. However, before she could leave, she heard a voice near the door leading into the parking lot.

"I sincerely hope you have my money with you, because I went to great lengths to capture the target."

"Do not worry, Parker. Not a single penny was left out."

The door swung open, and Sarah hid behind the stack of cardboard boxes. She heard a set of footsteps steadily approaching her, causing beads of sweat to break out upon her forehead. To her relief, these footsteps stopped, and she heard a man breathing, along with something that seemed to be stirring inside some container. The man was talking to someone or something in a gruff voice, and his statements were being responded by a second voice, which was also from a male. However, Sarah knew that she heard only one set of footsteps; she assumed that the first man had to be using a Holo Caster device.

"Good, it looks like traffic's clearing up here. I guess I'll be here sooner than expected. Just continue waiting for me. You know where the meeting point's at, right?"

"Yes, sir. I will be seeing you in a half-hour."

"Alright. Out."

Sarah heard the Holo Caster being deactivated, followed by the man walking in the opposite direction, away from her, much to her relief. Then, she heard something move, followed by the man grunting in disapproval. Peeking out from her cover, she watched as the man, who was muscular and had spiky brownish-yellow hair, gave a rough, almost threatening slap on the object he was holding, a small Pokémon carrier. Inside was a Pokémon, though Sarah couldn't identify it.

"Quiet down if you know what's good for you..." the man snarled savagely. The unknown Pokémon inside whimpered and retreated further inside in fear.

Upon hearing the Pokémon's fear, Sarah pursed her lips together in anger. This was no doubt some abusive Pokémon Trainer. She wanted to confront him and tell him how much of a horrible person he was, but she remembered the seclusion of her location and the fact that this man was taller and definitely much stronger than her, so she considered against it. She could only watch, reluctantly so, as the man walked towards the doorway, carrier in hand.

That was when she managed to see through the bars of the carrier. Inside was a Zigzagoon, but it seemed too large. What happened next was beyond her.

"BI!" the Zigzagoon cried in fear. Sarah was puzzled by the strange cry; she had seen Zigzagoon before, and they never made that kind of noise.

However, before she could do anything, the man already opened the door and stepped out of the hallway. The Zigzagoon was still looking at her fearfully, and as soon as the door closed, Sarah suddenly felt an unknown, otherworldly force all around her body. Then, her eyes widened as soon as she heard a faint, distant voice calling out desperately to her. The strange voice wasn't familiar, and yet, it seemed like she knew the voice's owner for a long time...

She moved towards the direction from which the man came.

* * *

><p>Alex, Jenna, Sam, Amber, and Harrison continued following Growlithe until the Puppy Pokémon abruptly stopped. At the moment, the group was standing at the exact staircase Sarah had gone down. Sam approached her Growlithe as it began sniffing the air and looking around, as if something of concern was nearby.<p>

"Growlithe, what's wrong?" she asked. Suddenly, Growlithe let out a growl of unmistakable anger as it dashed down the staircase. "WAIT, GROWLITHE!"

The five Trainers followed the Puppy Pokémon down the stairs. Growlithe then escalated to barking angrily, and Jenna raised an eyebrow.

"What's up with Growlithe, Sam?!" she asked.

However, a dark expression came to Sam's face, and Alex, Amber, and Harrison immediately recognized the situation.

"If Growlithe's acting like that," Harrison explained to Jenna, "then it can only mean one thing."

Amber looked at Harrison. "What? What does it mean?"

* * *

><p>Parker exhaled as he glanced at the carrier containing the Pokémon he captured. Pretty soon, he would be getting the sum of money promised to him, something that drew more enthusiasm than usual from him. After all, a payment of several million dollars was hard to come across for a Pokémon Poacher. It was no surprise to him, however, that the amount of money was that high, considering the astounding and rare Pokémon he had to capture for his employer.<p>

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupting the moment he heard the door behind him creak. He knew his boss was going to enter the parking lot through another point of entry, and that it was still too early for him to make his arrival. Besides, there was no way anyone else could be going into the parking lot for a just cause; after all, there were no vehicles present... Either someone was stupid enough to lose his or her way around the stadium and somehow wound up going to the parking lot, or...

Parker twirled around quickly, pulled a Poké Ball out of his pocket, and threw it into the air.

"GO, ARCANINE!" he shouted gruffly.

The Legendary Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball and howled triumphantly. Then, it stared at the person who had opened the door: a little girl, frozen in her place.

Parker raised an eyebrow in legitimate curiosity. "What in the world are you doing here, little girl?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be with your family or something?"

However, the girl couldn't answer. Instead, she stared up at Arcanine as it growled at her; her entire frame was trembling, her eyes were wide and bulging, there was a soft whimpering coming from her lips... Parker sighed heavily and shook his head in disapproval; he had definitely spooked the little girl.

"Get outta here, girl," he snapped, looking away as if she was a revolting, hideous creature, "before Arcanine makes you."

The girl finally mustered enough courage to speak up. "N-N-No-Not u-un-until y-you l-let g-g-go of th-that P-P-P-Po-Pokémon..." she stuttered.

He glared back at her, the lenses of his dark-brown sunglasses glinting. "Excuse me?" he asked in suspicion.

However, the girl became silent and started trembling again, obviously having said the wrong thing at the wrong time. Parker approached her, frowning. He didn't like this girl's behavior now. ...For some reason, despite the fact that this girl seemed to have no absolute idea on what she was saying, her tone and courage in standing up against a complete stranger seemed rather familiar to him. Then again, he had too much of those experiences in his lifetime, so he ignored it.

"Who in Arceus's name are you, little girl?!" he demanded. Arcanine growled and joined its Trainer's side, causing the girl to let out a fearful squeak.

Suddenly, the Zigzagoon in the carrier began to flail violently, crying out angrily. Parker's eyes widened, and he gasped in surprise as he tried to reach into his pocket, but it was too late for him; a bright green light flashed for a few seconds, causing him to drop the carrier while shielding his eyes. Arcanine prepared to fire an attack at the container, but a flurry of leaves, surrounded by a light-green aura, suddenly burst through the cage door and overwhelmed it, causing the Legendary Pokémon to flinch for a moment. All the while, the girl watched, her eyes widening and her lower jaw dropping open in shock.

_"That's no Zigzagoon..."_ Sarah thought.

"BIIIII!" cried the Celebi as it flew into Sarah's arms and hugging her tightly.

"C-Ce-_Celebi_?..." she asked in shock, remembering all the pictures her teacher showed of it at school. "What're you doing here?..."

Suddenly, a Flamethrower flew right past her, barely missing her by centimeters. Sarah cried out in fear and fell over, Celebi still in her arms. Scrambling towards the wall, the girl looked up as Parker and Arcanine approached her menacingly; the former was cracking his knuckles, while the latter was growling fiercely.

"Well now..." Parker said, "why don't you be a good little girl and give me that Pokémon?"

Arcanine then barked at Sarah, causing her to whimper and flinch, but her grip on Celebi tightened nonetheless. Parker pursed his lips in frustration.

"Give it to me _now_...or I'll _make_ you..." he snarled. However, he was met with another squeak, and his frown became more pronounced. "Arcanine-"

"CHUUUUU!"

A bolt of yellow electricity appeared from the doorway and struck Arcanine before Parker could issue a command. The Pokémon Poacher grunted and flicked his head towards the door, where he narrowed his eyes. Sarah looked at the doorway as well, and her eyes widened in surprise and relief.

"ALEX!" she cried. "JENNA!"

"Sarah, get behind us!" shouted Jenna.

The seven-year-old immediately dashed behind her siblings and noticed that the three of them were joined by Alex's friends Amber, Sam, and Harrison. Amber looked at Celebi as it was clutched in Sarah's arms; her eyes widened and she spoke for what appeared to be the first time of the day.

"Is that a _Celebi_?"

"What?" Harrison asked before looking down at Sarah and Celebi. "Yeah, it actually is!"

"Alright!" exclaimed Alex. "What do you want with this Celebi, _Parker_?"

Sarah's eyes widened, for she didn't expect this criminal to know her brother. However, she didn't bother to ask about it, since Parker continued the conversation.

"What do you think, Ketchum? To give it to the person who hired me in exchange for a good sum of money. And believe me, that Celebi's worth millions..."

"Well, you're not gonna be selling this Celebi, Parker!" Sam shouted. "You've always been a disgrace!"

The Poacher sneered. "And proud of it, Sam. Now, I am enjoying our little conversation, but I am afraid I must finish this up prematurely. It is bad business for me to be interfered with minutes before the trade takes place." He chuckled and then pointed at the group. "ARCANINE, USE FIRE BLAST!"

The Legendary Pokémon howled ferociously and fired a burst of flames that took the shape of a __Dai__ kanjī. The attack headed straight for the group...

"QUICK GROWLITHE, USE FLAMETHROWER!" Sam ordered.

"PICHU, USE THUNDERSHOCK!" commanded Alex.

The two Pokémon fired their respective attacks at the Fire Blast, and they collided, setting off a large explosion and a billowing cloud of dark smoke...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Now that we know about the true nature of the mystery Zigzagoon, whatever will happen to Sarah and the others?! Stay tuned for the next chapter! :D

Anyway, I feel like the pacing on this was a bit too fast, but my plan was to get the whole premise of the story underway by Chapter 4, so I needed to quicken things up slightly. If any of you felt uncomfortable with the pacing, it's my fault. Don't worry, though, the story should get more enjoyable when the time-travel thing occurs.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Avatar Rikki:** Yep, that's what I mean. And it's good to hear you like time-travel stories! I guarantee that you'll like this one!

**Guest reviewer #1:** Enjoy, as I always say! :D

**OmegaEGG:** Here's more! Sorry if it wasn't that informative, but hey, needed to get things underway soon.

**guywithglasses:** Here's the next chapter you wanted! Sorry if it's a little late.

**Guest reviewer #2:** Sorry the "Separation" sequel isn't out yet. I'm still working on that, don't worry. But for now, enjoy this story while you wait! :D :D :D

**colonelstars1911:** Hope you enjoy this story as much as you did with "Separation"! And as for the pseudo-"Back to the Future" premise question, no, it isn't.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	3. Celebi's Shocking Ability

**A/N:** I was planning to update this last week, but I wanted to catch up on another story I was neglecting recently, hence the longer wait. But now that I managed to update that story yesterday, I now have enough time to work on this chapter. I'm in a particularly good mood right now, seeing that an anime I've been waiting for so long has just premiered (the 2014 Fate/stay night remake), and that I got an A on a test that I thought I completely flunked, so YAY! :D

Just had to get that out there. Anyway, on with the chapter! ENJOY!

**Edit:** Just fixed and improved on a major typo that OmegaEGG pointed out. Thanks, OmegaEGG!

* * *

><p><strong>Underground Parking Lot<br>The Galope City Rhyhorn Racing Track**

Sarah coughed and closed her eyes as the dark smoke engulfed her. She had been too late in holding her breath, and she could feel an aggressive burning sensation in her nostrils. Covering her nostrils as she continued to cough, she felt the Celebi stir in her arms, letting out a soft whimper of fear. The seven-year-old tried to find a way towards the doorway from which her siblings came, but she couldn't open her eyes and risk getting them exposed to the smoke particles.

"Come on, Sarah, we gotta get out of here!" shouted Jenna as she felt her sister's hand grab hers (to her relief) and dashed into the hallway, followed by the others. They could hear Parker coughing and growling in the distance. "Alex, you have to call Uncle Clemont and Aunt Bonnie! Tell them there's trouble!"

"Can't we just call Mom?" Alex replied. Opening her eyes, Sarah looked up and saw Jenna's cheeks turn red.

Just then, she felt something soft and alive wrap itself around her ankle, its grip snapping tightly around it with a vice-like grip in split-seconds. Before Sarah knew it, she fell to the ground, her hand breaking free from Jenna's. Fortunately, she managed to turn around just in time for her back to take the blow of the floor instead of having Celebi be crushed by her body. However, that relief for Celebi's well-being vanished quickly as her body started sliding across the floor away from her siblings and their friends, towards Parker, his Arcanine, and what appeared to be a Shiny Chesnaught, a vine flowing from its domed, armor-like shell.

"Where do you think YOU'RE going, little one?!" the Poacher snarled savagely.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" screamed Sarah. "JENNA, ALEX! **HELP ME**!"

"SARAH!" Jenna screeched. Growling in hatred at the man who was threatening her innocent little sister, she pulled out a Poké Ball of her own and threw it into the air as hard as she can. "Frogadier, I need you!" The Bubble Frog Pokémon emerged, its arms crossed in a cool, calm demeanor. "Use Hydro Pump, quick! Protect Sarah!"

Frogadier croaked and fired a powerful blast of water at both Chesnaught and Arcanine. Arcanine was able to dodge the attack, but Chesnaught took the full force of the attack. However, the Spiny Armor Pokémon stood there, seemingly unaffected by the Water-type attack. Jenna gasped, knowing that Frogadier's attacks couldn't stand a chance against a Grass-type Pokémon, let alone a fully-evolved one like Chesnaught. Parker chuckled nastily and pointed at the group.

"Arcanine, use Overheat to distract these foolish children," he ordered. "Chesnaught, we mustn't waste any more time. We're bringing the girl with us."

Arcanine fired a stream of fire between itself and the Trainers, creating an impenetrable wall of fire. Parker sneered and walked away, Chesnaught following behind its Trainer, Sarah still under the clutches of its Vine Whip. In her desperation, she continued to cling to Celebi as she screamed loudly.

"JENNA, ALEX! HELP ME!"

"DON'T WORRY, SARAH, WE'RE COMING!" Jenna yelled. "FROGADIER, USE HYDRO PUMP ON THE WATER!"

Frogadier fired the Hydro Pump towards the wall of fire engulfing the hallway, but even though it was succeeding in putting it out, the fire continued to blaze strongly and aggressively. It wouldn't be able to put out the fire in time for the others to try and rescue Sarah from Parker's captivity...

"MILOTIC, USE HYDRO PUMP TOO!"

Another blast of water appeared and joined Frogadier's Hydro Pump. Jenna, Alex, Amber, Sam, and Harrison turned to see a boy with dark-gray hair and wearing the same jockey suit as Jenna, except it was blue instead of pink. Beside him was a Milotic, its mouth spouting out the Tender Pokémon's own Hydro Pump.

"JIMMY!" they all exclaimed happily.

"What're you doing here?!" cried Jenna.

"The race just started, but I noticed you weren't there," Jimmy replied. "I became suspicious, so I checked the security systems and saw you were here, fighting that Parker bozo." He then watched as the last of the flames were doused out by Frogadier and Milotic's combined efforts. "Now, come on, let's go save Sarah!"

The five others nodded as all six dashed down the hallway.

Meanwhile, Parker had Chesnaught drag Sarah all the way back in the underground parking lot. She looked up fearfully at the adult, trembling noticeably as he closed in on her. Regardless, she defiantly tightened her grip around Celebi as it whimpered at Parker's presence and held on her dress. Just because she was vulnerable and all alone, it didn't mean she was selfish enough to leave Celebi to its doom; after all, as a Ketchum, she loved Pokémon and would be willing to protect them.

"You're really asking for it for someone who's afraid of being all alone and in the presence of strangers," remarked Parker, grinning. "Just give Celebi to me, and I will leave you and your siblings alone. After all, just because I'm a mean, nasty guy who profits from illegally selling endangered Pokémon doesn't mean I've got morals."

"N-N-Ne-Never!" squeaked Sarah. "Y-Y-You leave C-Celebi _alone_! It-It doesn't d-deserve this!"

"Bi..." Celebi whimpered as it looked up at the honey-haired girl, admiring her selfless and honest bravery despite the circumstances.

"I am not gonna ask you again, girl. Hand. Me. The. _Celebi_."

"Never! Go away! Leave us alone!"

Just then, Arcanine closed in on Sarah, its fangs engulfed with fire. Parker's grin widened.

"Are you sure about your decision, little girl?" he asked. "Your bravery may be impressive, but all it'll ever do for you is get you hurt...or _worse_..."

"YOU LET MY SISTER GO NOW, PARKER!" Alex's voice shouted.

Sarah and the Poacher looked towards the doorway and saw Alex, Jenna, Jimmy, Amber, Sam, and Harrison run into the chamber. Joining them were Pichu, Frogadier, Milotic, and Growlithe. In addition, Amber and Harrison threw their own Poké Balls and summoned Herdier and Pinsir, respectively. Parker frowned and growled.

"Oh, why can't you kids just stop interfering in all my affairs?!" he roared. "Arcanine, use Fire Blast! Chesnaught, Hammer Arm!"

"PICHU, USE THUNDERSHOCK!" ordered Alex.

"FROGADIER/MILOTIC, USE HYDRO PUMP!" Jenna and Jimmy commanded simultaneously.

"GROWLITHE, USE FLAMETHROWER!" shouted Sam.

"H-Herdier, u-use Take Down!" Amber cried nervously.

"PINSIR, USE X-SCISSOR!" Harrison roared.

The combined onslaught of attacks sent Arcanine and Chesnaught backward. Parker growled again and took out a third Poké Ball, which appeared to be colored black.

"Time for my last resort," he said. Then, he threw the Poké Ball. "MEGA SABLEYE, GO!"

The Poké Ball unleashed the Mega Evolved Darkness Pokémon, which snickered sadistically at its opponents as Arcanine and Chesnaught stood up to join its sides. As she watched Mega Sableye lead the trio, Sarah gasped in surprise. From what she heard about Mega Evolution during her school lessons, it can only be enacted if the chosen Pokémon was equipped with an appropriate Mega Stone, and its Trainer a Key Stone, and also if the Pokémon was in the middle of a battle. There was no way a Mega Evolved Pokémon could be stored inside a Poké Ball...but then again, the device that summoned the Mega Sableye definitely _wasn't_ a Poké Ball...

"Oh, no..." moaned Harrison as he stared at Mega Sableye. "What a good time to leave my Pinsirite in my bag at the private room..."

Meanwhile, Amber's eyes widened at the sight of Mega Sableye as soon as it focused its sights on her. The moment it chuckled menacingly, she took a step back. She had never been exactly good with Dark- or Ghost-type Pokémon, making Sableye double the trouble for her... The exact time she took that step backward, there was a flash of light emanating from her pocket, projecting onto the ground between her and Mega Sableye and took the shape of...

"W-What?" stuttered the black-haired female Trainer. "Eevee, what're you doing?! Get back in your Poké Ball!"

However, Amber's Eevee refused, instead growling and looking up at Mega Sableye, which stared back, looking almost confused. Then, it chuckled again and swatted at Eevee, knocking it across the floor as it squealed in pain. Amber gasped and quickly rushed forward to pick Eevee up, taking out its Poké Ball as she did so.

"Eevee, _return_!" she moaned forcefully.

"What a foolish Eevee..." Parker remarked, chuckling. "Foolish and cowardly, just like its Trainer..."

Alex gritted his teeth and stepped forward; his fists were trembling, and his face was low. "You hold an innocent Pokémon captive, against its will... You threaten my little sister... You insult my closest friend..." He then looked up, his eyes alive with fury. "YOU'VE DONE IT THIS TIME, PARKER! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

Parker's grin widened as he commanded passively, "Mega Sableye, use Shadow Ball. Arcanine, use Overheat. Chesnaught, use Hammer Arm."

These attacks caught the group of Trainers off-guard; they all overwhelmed them and their Pokémon with their combined, sheer force, led by Mega Sableye's power. Sarah's eyes widened as she saw her siblings and their friends fall before Parker's Pokémon as he cackled triumphantly.

"ALEX, JENNA, NO!" she screamed, tears of horror streaming down her cheeks. "NO, NO, NO!"

"You kids shall now regret ever interfering with my affairs in the first place!" snarled Parker in satisfaction.

Sensing the gravity of the unfolding situation, Celebi decided to do the unthinkable. It knew the risks; it knew that its energy was depleted and that the injuries it had been inflicted with were too severe to warrant its latest move without self-harm. However, there was no way it was going to allow the people who were helping it out, ensure its freedom, to get hurt by this villain, or worse. With that concluded, it closed its eyes, the outline of its body glowing a light-green color.

"_Biiiiiiiiii_..." it said soothingly, catching Sarah's attention.

"W-What?" she cried, becoming bathed in Celebi's light. "Wh-What's going on?... Um...uh..." The light became brighter, shining in her face. "AGH!"

"Damn it, I don't like the looks of this..." snarled Parker. "Mega Sableye, stop Celebi from doing whatever it's doing, at once! Before something happens!"

Mega Sableye nodded and prepared to use an attack, but Celebi opened its eyes, its pupils also glowing light-green. The light was illuminating the entire parking lot...

"BBBBBIIIIIIIIII!" it screamed as loud as it could.

"EEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!" squealed Sarah as she closed her eyes tightly.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Parker howled, shielding his eyes in response. Mega Sableye, Arcanine, and Chesnaught repeated the same actions as their Trainer.

"**SARAH!**" Jenna cried as she stood up and prepared to run towards her younger sister, but she felt a sudden stab of pain in her leg and fell to the ground. Looking at her leg, the jockey saw that it had been badly bruised and cut by the attacks from Mega Sableye, Arcanine, and Chesnaught. She looked back at Sarah. "SARAH!"

"JENNA!" Sarah screamed desperately as she looked at her older sister's direction. "H-HELP ME! HELP ME, PLEASE!"

"DON'T WORRY, SARAH, DON'T WORRY! I'M COMING FOR- AGH!"

The light became more stronger than before. Everyone shielded their eyes from the ever-increasing light. The last thing that Jenna could hear from her younger sister was her taking in one last breath, just before the entire parking lot was suddenly filled with the same damp lighting from before. The six Trainers uncovered their eyes hesitantly and saw that Parker and his Pokémon were all gone, to their relief. Then, they looked around and came to a horrible, unfortunate realization.

Sarah and Celebi were both also gone.

Jenna stood up as best as she could, ignoring the excruciating pain in her leg, and looked around, hoping her eyes were just deceiving her. However, she couldn't see Sarah's honey-colored hair, her pink dress, or even her trademark straw hat. Feeling her heart beating aggressively against her sternum, she let out one shout.

**"SARAH!"**

* * *

><p><em>Drip...<em>

_Drip...  
><em>

_Drip..._

Sarah forced her eyelids open, gasping. The first thing she saw was a tall blade of grass, droplets of water dripping from the end. Then, she noticed the other blades of grass, then the trees. She could hear Flying-type Pokémon chirping and calling to one another at a short distance. To her sadness and horror, she knew she had to be located in the middle of a forest somewhere. At first, the seven-year-old contemplated lying still on the soft forest floor, hoping someone traveling would somehow come across her, but she remembered all the forest Pokémon and didn't want to risk becoming an easy snack for them.

With some difficulty, she stood up and saw that her dress, carefully ironed by her loving mother, was now all grimy and messy. Sarah moaned in disappointment, right before she noticed the Celebi lying on the spot next to where she was lying. Remembering the Pokémon Poacher, she looked around, only to see no one else around.

_"Good,"_ she thought in relief. _"The bad man is gone. Now..."_ She looked at Celebi, who appeared to be unconscious. _"What am I gonna do? I have to find a way back to the racing track! I have to give this Celebi to Officer Jenny! It's not safe out here..."_ She instinctively looked around again. _"It's not safe in middle of the woods..."_

Quickly, Sarah picked up Celebi, and as she did so, the Time Travel Pokémon cooed and nuzzled against her dress with a soft smile. The girl smiled, being reminded of all the times she felt safe with her mother. Knowing that she was now the responsible one, Sarah took in a deep breath and ventured into the forest.

_"Alright, don't be scared, Sarah. It's just the forest. Mommy and Daddy have adventured in the forest a gazillion times; you heard their stories. Just think, this is like one of Mommy and Daddy's adventures. They're saving the hurt Pokémon from the bad guy. They're not afraid of anything! You shouldn't be too, Sarah!"_

"Yeah..." she whispered to herself as she stopped beside a large rock. "Don't be afraid of anything..."

Just a split-second later, she heard something rustling in the nearby bushes, and she squeaked fearfully, falling over on the ground. Looking at the bush, Sarah began to fear that it might be Parker and his Pokémon, still out to recapture the escaped Celebi. Her grip on Celebi tightened instinctively. The bush was still rustling...

A Poliwag suddenly hopped out of the bush and spotted the fallen Sarah. It titled its head curiously. "Pol?"

Recognizing what Pokémon it was, Sarah sighed in relief and chuckled. "Hi there, Poliwag. You scared me for a second..."

"Poliwag?" a voice called, startling Sarah and causing her to scramble up against the rock in fear. "Poliwag, where'd you run off to?"

A young man emerged from the bushes, a ridiculously large yellow backpack strapped on his back. He had a muscular physique, but not as much as Parker's, and had long dark-brown hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing a short-sleeved red shirt, brown cargo pants, a red bracelet, and red hiking shoes. The Poliwag hopped a couple more times towards Sarah, allowing the backpacker to spot the little girl. His eyes widened, and he gasped in concern.

"Oh my goodness, are-are you all right, young lady?!" he exclaimed, running up to her. However, not being good with strangers, Sarah cowered and curled herself up into a fetal position, her grip on Celebi tighter than ever before. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm not gonna hurt you, I swear!"

"My mommy says I can't talk to strangers..." Sarah replied before covering her mouth, realizing her mistake.

"Well, I swear, I'm a friend..." Then, he noticed the Celebi in her arms. "Oh my Arceus!" He took a step backward. "Is...Is that a _Celebi_?!"

"You can't have it!" she screamed. "It belongs in the wild, not in the hands of some meanie!"

"My Arceus, that Celebi looks injured... It needs to be taken to a Pokémon Center..." He then snapped his fingers. "Ah, yes! Galope Town is close by!"

"G-G-Galope _Town_?" Sarah could've sworn it was called Galope City.

"Yeah. Come with me, I'll take you both to the Pokémon Center. You both need to be checked for injuries-"

"NO! I'M NOT FALLING FOR THAT! GO AWAY!"

"I swear, I swear! I mean no harm! I don't want Celebi or you or anything else that has to do with you! I just wanna help, out of the goodness of my heart!" He then knelt down beside Sarah, flashing her a friendly smile that reminded the one Alex had. "My name's Lane, and this here is my good ol' friend Poliwag. How about you?"

"Pol, Pol!" Poliwag added encouragingly.

Sarah glanced at the Tadpole Pokémon reluctantly. It looked genuinely happy in Lane's presence... His tone really did sound sincere... But...he was a stranger... How could a young, defenseless, and alone girl like her trust a complete stranger? What if the Poliwag was just his way of buying would-be victims' hearts before striking?

Lane, knowing that Sarah was still unconvinced, sighed and unstrapped his backpack. Zipping it open, he began to search through his supplies.

"I know I had a walkie-talkie here somewhere..." he said. "Ah, here we are!" He pulled out the device and pressed a button. "Hopefully this works..." Upon being met with static, he spoke into it. "Hello? Can anyone hear me? My name's Lane. I was on my way to Galope Town when I saw this girl. She seems hurt, and...and..." Lane looked at the Celebi for a moment before continuing. "If anyone can hear me, send Officer Jenny over. We're approximately five minutes away near the eastern trail!"

"T-Tell them t-to send m-my m-mommy over t-too..." Sarah said, almost inaudibly.

"Sure." Lane prepared to speak into the walkie-talkie when he looked at Sarah again. "W-What's your mom's name?"

"S-S-Se-Serena... Serena Ketchum..."

She expected Lane to become excited at hearing her mother's name, or at the very least remark that he knew that name. However, he didn't.

"And also, the girl asks that her mother be with Officer Jenny. Her name's Serena Ketchum. All right? Did anyone hear that?"

For a moment, there was nothing but static. Finally, after a couple of minutes, a voice finally responded.

"This is Pokémon Ranger Summer. Do you hear me, Lane?"

"Yes, yes, I can hear you!" He winked consolingly at Sarah, causing her to smile slightly.

"I've received your urgent message. Don't worry, Lane, I'm on my way. I don't have a Serena Ketchum, but I do have Serena Yates and her friends right now. Officer Jenny shouldn't be far behind us. I just want you to remain at your position with the girl, and we should be there in a few minutes. Don't make any attempt to move."

Lane looked at Sarah, who said, "My mommy's name is also Serena Yates. It's okay."

"Alright, thank you!" Lane said into the walkie-talkie before he switched it off and looked at Sarah. "Don't worry, kiddo, your mommy's coming."

"Thank you, Lane!" Sarah replied, smiling widely. _"Wow, Lane's so nice! He's not so bad after all!"_

"Hey, told ya I didn't mean any trouble." He then sat beside her and reached into his backpack, pulling out...a wrapped sandwich? "Hungry?"

Realizing that she hadn't eaten since she left home, Sarah grabbed the sandwich, unwrapped it, and began eating it. In the meantime, Lane pulled out some Pokémon food for Poliwag and hopefully Celebi, then another wrapped sandwich for himself. The trio spent the following minutes eating beside the rock, with Sarah also looking at Celebi every once in a while, sometimes even attempting to feed it some of her sandwich. Finally, after several minutes passed, they could hear a motor revving.

"That must be Ranger Summer!" Lane reached into his pocket, pulled out a Poké Ball, and threw it, unleashing a Cyndaquil. "Cyndaquil! Fire your Flamethrower in the sky so we can be spotted more easily!" The Fire Mouse Pokémon obliged and fired the attack into the air. "Yeah, good job, Cyndaquil! Keep at it!"

It didn't take long for an olive-green jeep to burst through the bushes and skidded to a stop a few feet away from the group, its motor still revving. Sarah's blue eyes widened, for she didn't recall vehicles in her era being so..._old-fashioned_. The wheels, the grille, the sleekness (which it actually was lacking in, making the jeep look all block-like)... However, her focus was diverted as soon as she recognized the sleek, beautiful locks of honey hair, the blue eyes that matched hers...

"MOMMY!" she cried as she gently put Celebi down, stood up, and ran as fast as she could towards the jeep. "OH MOMMY, I WAS SO SCARED! I THOUGHT I WAS-!"

At that moment, the jeep's passengers all got out of the vehicle. Upon seeing her mother's full form, Sarah stopped mid-sprint, her lower jaw dropping open in shock. She couldn't believe what she was exactly seeing. The seven-year-old girl didn't know if this was a trick of the eye, or some weird dream that she was having...

"M-_Mommy_?..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Bet you can all guess why Sarah's all shocked. Anyway, now that that's out of the way, the story can officially begin...

NOT! (Well, sorta.)

For the next three chapters, we are gonna be focusing on present-day, young Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie before we get on with the story. These chapters also will introduce/reintroduce conflicts in the story, so be sure to stay tuned for that! Consider this the second part of the unofficial prologue. :D

As for the character of Lane, he's actually not an official OC. I based his design on the Backpacker NPC Trainer class featured in the XY games, and Lane is one of the names for said Backpackers in those games. His personality is the only thing I made up about him. You're gonna be seeing a little more of those unofficial OCs in the story too. I'm doing this because, honestly, I've become a little lazy in designing my own OCs this time around, and also, since I am partially writing this in the same vein of the anime, I wondered what it'd be like to see more of these NPC Trainer classes being featured, since they've being doing it a lot more recently.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Avatar Rikki:** You'll have background info on Jimmy later. For now, we'll be focusing on the present day. As for what might be happening between Future Serena and Future Ash, well, you'll see too! It's not marital problems, but it is just as interesting, I assure you. :)

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** Continue I shall. Sorry if this chapter was late.

**MizarW:** Here's the next chapter! Again, sorry about its lateness.

**Pokemon2378:** Hopefully it goes good! :D

**OmegaEGG:** No longer will you wait! It's here!

**Guest reviewer:** Thanks. :) Here's the next chapter!

**Slender Operator:** You'll see Future Ash, but not that soon. And I'm glad to see you've become interested! :D

**colonelstars1911:** Looks like the premise is picking up, like you hoped! Hopefully you enjoyed!

**Cure Eclipse:** Uh...what were you planning to say? Or was that your entire review? :P

**Ejennings167:** Glad to see you're following this! Hopefully you were able to bear with the long wait and enjoy this chapter! :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	4. The Gathering of Seven

**A/N:** Alright, before I begin, I wanna talk about a couple of things for a sec.

First of all, some people who have reviewed have asked why Future Serena was using her maiden name instead of just 'Ketchum', since she's married, after all. Well, I'll partially answer that for you guys, since I probably should have put more implication on that: it has to do with the job she has in that timeline. It DOES NOT have anything to do with marital problems whatsoever. Just wanted to get that out there to prevent any further confusion for future readers.

Second of all, some of you guys have been leaving behind reviews that say "Excellent story, please update soon" or "Oooh, more more". At first, it did not bother me, but for one reason or another, I've been getting these kinds of reviews more lately with this story and I must say, I don't like it. Please, please, PLEASE be a bit more detailed in your reviews. What exactly did you like about this story? Anything you would like to comment on? Is there something that I should be improving on? I am not asking for drawn-out and thorough reviews, but I want more than just one-sentence reviews saying how much you like the story and that you want an update. Of course I know that already. But I'm gonna need more than just brief, almost minuscule reviews to convince me to update for you guys.

So, with that said, how long the next update will take now depends on the effort you guys put in your reviews. You guys don't have to be extremely specific on every tiny detail, but I want to see that you actually did read the story. Consider this a policy for this story, and likely future Pokémon stories by me.

Alright, now that that's out of the way, time to get underway with this new chapter. ENJOY!

* * *

><p><strong>Route 12<br>The Kalos region  
>Present day<strong>

The tiny twig snapped loudly underneath the black shoe as its owner closely followed her friends down the long and rough trail. Letting out a heavy sigh, the teenage girl adjusted her pink hat to allow its brim to protect her eyes. She could feel the heat of the unforgiving Sun bore down on her ferociously. Wondering if the forces of nature were simply against her today, of all days, Serena Yates sighed again and wiped her forehead of the beads of sweat that were dripping down her smooth skin.

"How in the world did the day get so hot?" she asked.

"I don't know..." moaned Clemont. "It was cooler a couple of hours ago... Very..." He panted under the pressure of the heat. "Very strange..."

"When're we gonna get to Galope Town, Clemont?..." sighed Bonnie as Dedenne slumped against her head while perched on her shoulder. "I'm getting thirsty..."

"Not till another couple of hours, according to the map... A shame we ran out of water..."

"Why didn't we refill our canteens back at the last Pokémon Center?..." Serena asked.

"Hey, does it look like we saw this heat wave coming? And I knew we should've taken that left turn a couple of miles back, but _someone_ wanted to go the fast way... Yeah, fast way, my butt, we're still a couple of hours away, and yet, this heat wave's gonna be the death of all of us!"

"Hey, don't blame me!" Ash groaned, rolling his eyes. "Like you said, we didn't see this coming..."

"Pika..." added Pikachu semi-consciously.

"Man, this heat's really getting to me... We should rest..."

"Didn't we rest five minutes ago, Ash?..." asked Serena, feeling her legs buckling slightly.

"Don't know. Let's rest now."

With that, the three Trainers, plus the young girl, collapsed underneath the cool shade of a nearby tree. Pikachu and Dedenne both hopped off their respective owners and slept contently beside their legs, while Serena and Clemont tiredly began taking out the group's lunches and Pokémon food from their respective backpacks. With that done, minutes passed, being spent with the group eating and talking occasionally, still suffering under the immense heat.

Finally, after a while, Ash asked, "Man, this stupid heat... I can't wait till we get to Galope Town... I need to get to their Pokémon Center and have a nice rest..."

"Make that two of us..." replied Clemont, chuckling in exhaustion.

"Or three of us..." Serena added.

"Four..." moaned Bonnie, barely awake now as she was leaning against her brother's shoulder, her eyelids drooping noticeably. The others chuckled in response. They knew that as much as sleep looked very appealing and comforting to them, there was no time to waste. They needed to get to Galope Town soon.

However, a few minutes later, all four were ironically now sleeping contently underneath the tree's shade.

* * *

><p><strong>Approximately an hour later<strong>

_The revving of a motor..._

Pikachu's ears twitched upon hearing the noise, and its eyelids fluttered open. Upon registering the sound, it raised its head with a "Pi?"

Hearing his partner Pokémon, Ash groaned and opened his eyes as well. "Pikachu?" he asked. "What...What's wrong?"

Pikachu looked around, continuing to listen to the strange noise. Upon realizing that it was coming closer, it stood up, looked off towards the direction from which the group had originally come from. There seemed to be a cloud of dust in the distance, and as the Mouse Pokémon examined it, it realized what was coming.

It pointed towards the billowing smoke, exclaiming, "Pika!"

"Huh?" Ash followed the direction of Pikachu's finger and spotted the cloud of smoke as well. He then heard the nearing motor engine, and stood up cautiously. "What in the world is that?..." He narrowed his eyes to focus his eyesight at the unknown occurrence, and then spotted what appeared to be... "A jeep?"

At that point, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Dedenne were all stirred awake by the loud engine of the jeep as well, and stood up, rubbing their eyes and yawning. The four then joined Ash and Pikachu as they watched the jeep drive down the trail, nearing their position. They could now see the outlines of the vehicle's occupants.

"Hey, maybe we can ask those people to give us a ride!" suggested Clemont, smiling.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea, Clemont!" Ash replied. He then stepped closer to the trail, waving his arms desperately. "Hey, over here! HEY! Stop the jeep!"

It didn't take long for the jeep to slow down, and once it came to a stop beside the group, the occupants looked out towards them. The driver was a middle-aged man with brown hair, hazel eyes, the beginnings of a mustache, and wearing construction clothes and a white hardhat. The person in the passenger seat was a boy around Ash, Serena, and Clemont's ages, who also sported hazel eyes and brown hair, and was wearing a light-blue hooded sweatshirt and brown cargo shorts. The person in the backseat was a girl who was also around the boy's age, who also haed hazel eyes like the others, blonde hair tied in a ponytail at the back, and wearing a modest school uniform consisting of a black blouse, a white undershirt with a pink bow, and a pink skirt. In the jeep's exposed trunk was a number of unidentifiable supplies.

"You guys okay?" the driver asked, adjusting his hardhat. "D'you need anything?"

"Yeah, we're on our way to Galope Town," replied Ash. "But it's really exhausting for us to walk in the middle of all this heat."

"Ah, Galope Town? We're on our way back there. It so happens to be our hometown. Want a ride?"

"Yeah, thanks! My name's Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pikachu!" greeted the Mouse Pokémon, waving at the jeep's occupants.

"Hi, I'm Serena!" Serena said, putting a hand to her chest in emphasis.

"I'm Clemont, nice to meet you," added Clemont.

"I'm Bonnie," Bonnie said, "and this is Dedenne!"

"Dede!" chirped the Antenna Pokémon, smiling widely.

The girl in the backseat smiled and squealed, "Oh my goodness, your Pikachu and Dedenne are both so CUTE! I love them!"

"Pikachu..." Pikachu rubbed its head in embarrassment, but Dedenne continued to smile at the compliment.

"Hey, the name's Yusif," the driver replied. "This is my son Joey-" He pointed at the boy, who waved at them nonchalantly. "-and my daughter Charlotte." He pointed at the swooning girl. "You guys may come on in. There's plenty of room at the back. Just be sure to be careful of all the supplies there; we're making a delivery."

"Sure, thanks for the ride!" Ash said as he and the others boarded the jeep, causing Joey to flinch. Once everyone was in, Yusif sped the jeep further down the trail.

Upon feeling the blast of wind hit his face, Ash smiled widely and sighed in relief.

"Man, I'm so glad we got this ride," he said, closing his eyes to savor the cool temperature of the wind. "Thanks, Yusif, for all the help."

"Hey, no problem! Like I always say, it helps the soul to aid someone in need! So, what brings you guys to Galope Town?"

"Oh, the sights and sounds. Plus, I heard the racing track is quite famous."

Yusif smiled. "Oh yes, indeed it is! The track was built almost a century ago. It's the oldest functioning racing track in the Kalos region. Galope Town's primary source of profit comes from it, actually. The townspeople are very proud of it. Including me. I assume you're gonna stick around for the track's centennial celebration?"

"Yeah. I've done Rhyhorn Racing once, and I enjoyed it. I'm gonna sign up there and participate."

"Really? Well, good luck on that, Ash. Every anniversary of the track's founding, the races are tougher than usual. Obstacles, point systems, you name it!"

However, Ash leaned back nonchalantly. "Ah, I think this will be a doozy."

At the corner of his eye, Ash noticed Joey rolling his eyes, but he decided to not pry into it. Meanwhile, Charlotte continued to look at Serena, who could feel her stare on her and became nervous. Finally, the blonde girl spoke up, her eyes shining, her voice almost trembling with excitement.

"Hey, by any chance, you don't happen to have a Fennekin in your team, do you?"

"Actually," replied Serena, "as a matter of fact, I do." She pulled out her Poké Ball. "Here, I'll show you. Come on out, Fennekin!"

The Poké Ball unleashed the Fox Pokémon, which barked happily as it sat on its Trainer's lap, its tail wagging slightly as it looked up at Charlotte. At that moment, she gasped before letting out what appeared to be her loudest squeal ever, even louder than the revving of the jeep engine. Everyone else in the vehicle, including Serena and Fennekin, flinched at the unbearable noise and covered their ears. Seconds later, Charlotte ended their torture and quickly picked up Fennekin, surveying it.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, looking at Serena. "I knew it, I knew it, I _knew_ it!"

"K-K-Knew what?..." stuttered the honey-haired Trainer.

Charlotte spoke so quickly that the others had a hard time trying to keep up with her words. "Yeah well, I figured that you looked quite familiar to me. Then, once you got close enough in the jeep, I mean, I knew it HAD to be you! But I needed to see if you had your Fennekin, otherwise, what would've happened if I was dealing with some lookalike or some other wacky circumstance! But since you have your Fennekin, that's all the proof I need! You're Serena, aren't you?!"

"Y-Y-Yeah, I mean...I introduced myself a minute earlier-"

"I mean the one with that awesome PokéVision video with Fennekin that's taken the websites by storm! You're her, aren't you?"

Serena's eyes widened in surprise, remembering the video. "Oh yeah, the video!" She crossed her arms and smiled proudly. "Yep, that's me-"

"OH MY GOODNESS!" Charlotte's squeal cut her off and startled her, as well as the others. "OH, MAY I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?" She immediately took out a piece of paper, which Serena looked at in complete surprise. "I AM **SUCH** A HUGE FAN OF YOUR VIDEO! PLEASE, MAY I HAVE IT?! PRETTY PLEASE?!"

"Um...uh..." stuttered Serena.

"Charlotte," Yusif said, shaking his head in amusement while still focused on the road, "you put that away. We don't want our guests to be startled, now do we?"

"Sorry..." Charlotte put the paper away. "It's just, well, like I said, I'm a very big fan. Your video inspired me, Serena. It did."

"It...It did?"

"Yeah!" Her eyes softened as she looked distantly towards the forest. "I mean, before I saw it online, I didn't really know what exactly I wanted to do with my life, as a goal. I was thinking about working at that old Rhyhorn Racing Track, but only because that was where everyone's working at. No other reason. But when I saw your video, I knew I found my true calling." She grinned widely. "Hey, um, would you mind if I hold Fennekin? I promise I won't do anything to it."

"Oh, sure..." Serena handed the Fox Pokémon over to the other girl. At first, Fennekin was wary of Charlotte. However, as soon as she started petting it and stroking its fur lovingly, as if she was grooming it, the Fire-type starter cooed in pleasure and nuzzled its head against her abdomen, enjoying the attention it was receiving.

"And besides, who in their right mind wants to work at that dump of a track anyway?"

"_I_ do," Joey replied flatly, looking at his sister. "And what're you calling a dump? That racing track's still going strong! In contrast, making PokéVision videos is lame-"

"_Joey_," interrupted Yusif, his voice stern. "What'd I tell you about teasing your sister?"

"...Sorry, Dad..."

Charlotte rolled her eyes at her brother, then looked back at Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Anyway, yeah... That's my life story, I guess."

"Wow, that sounds great!" Ash exclaimed encouragingly. "You managed to find your true calling! Now that's the spirit! And you pursue your dream to the very end!"

"Thanks, Ash. And to you too, Serena, for inspiring me."

"You're...You're welcome..." Serena replied, surprised that she actually made a difference in someone's life. _"Wow... That...That actually feels _good _to know..."_

Then, the honey-haired girl noticed Charlotte staring at Ash intently. Before she knew it, the other girl gave off another excited smile.

"Hey, Ash?"

The raven-haired Trainer looked at Charlotte. "Yeah, Charlotte?" he asked.

"You know..." She blushed slightly. "You're...You're very cute, you know that?"

Ash blushed strongly in embarrassment. "C-C-_Cute_? I-I can't i-imagine a _human_ being cute, but a Pokémon, i-it's understandable. Like Pikachu, he's cute!"

"Pika..." The Mouse Pokémon, sensing Charlotte's emotions, shook his head in disbelief at its Trainer's less-than-satisfactory reaction.

In the meantime, Serena continued to stare intently at Charlotte, her eyes wide in shock, her face growing more florid with every passing second as she continued to observe the latter's blush. All respect that she had of the girl had vanished in an instant...and was replaced by another emotion that she knew all too well...

_Jealousy_...

* * *

><p>Little did anyone know of the Meowth hot-air balloon that was floating across the sky in a rather suspicious manner. Aboard its small basket, its three occupants spied on the jeep closely with their advanced binoculars as it continued driving. Triumphant sneers appeared on their faces simultaneously.<p>

"I hope they're counting their blessings," Jessie said, "'cause soon, the tides will turn in our favor! HAHA!"

"And Pikachu will be ours..." added James.

"All we gotta do is wait for da perfect opportunity," explained Meowth, "and den, we strike! And den, we will give it to da boss, and _den_, no one will be any wiser!" He lowered his binoculars, an excited grin curving his facial features. "Soon, our hearts shall be filled to dere fullest wit da boss's approval!"

Suddenly, a small grumbling noise emanated through the air, and Jessie and Meowth looked at James suspiciously. He immediately clutched his stomach, frowning.

"Oh," he moaned sadly, "the only thing that needs to be filled to its fullest is my stomach... I'm really hungry..."

Then, Jessie's stomach grumbled as well, and she moaned. "Oh, me too... I wonder if there's a restaurant somewhere nearby?..."

"If only there were such things as stop-by restaurants for balloons in the sky..."

Meowth shook his head disapprovingly, disappointed with his two accomplices' current states. "Come on, guys, we gotta stick to da program! We got a twoip Pikachu to catch, a boss ta please, and a whole bunch of promotions on our wayses! After all-" He raised a clawed paw in the air. "-WE'RE TEAM ROCKET! LET'S ACT LIKE IT!"

Jessie and James sighed sadly and raised their fists slowly.

"Team Rocket shall triumph..." they chorused in deadpan, unenthusiastic tones.

Then, a sound of Poké Ball popping once, and... "Wobbuffet!"

* * *

><p><strong>An hour later<strong>

As soon as Yusif's jeep took a right turn out of the forest and drove down a road situated near a cliff that was fenced off, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all gasped upon staring down at the valley below and spotting Galope Town. It was a moderately sized town that sported several buildings, a central plaza with a fountain, and a bell tower. Nearby the town was a lake, its bright-blue surface glittering like a group of magnificent crystals. However, perhaps the most distinguishable of the town's locations was the racing track that cut through the town in multiple locations, winding through the buildings with intimate intricacy like a Seviper. The four can barely see the dots that were the Rhyhorn Racers, running down the track at high speeds on their Rhyhorn, individual clouds of smoke trailing behind them.

"Pika!" exclaimed Pikachu in wonder.

"Wow..." Ash said. "So this is Galope Town..."

"Yep," replied Joey, joining the others as they gazed down at the faraway town. "I know, right? It's quite a view. Especially the racing track." He gazed at his sister as she continued to stroke Fennekin's fur attentively. "Which a certain _someone_ just can't recognize as being the most awesome thing in the world..."

"_Joey_..." Yusif said sternly, silencing the boy.

Not the latest exchange, Ash instead wandered his eyes around Galope Town and its surroundings. Eventually, he noticed the nearby lake, and realized that the water seemed to be flowing from a river that disappeared into the depths of the forest and out of his sight. Intrigued by this, he looked back at Yusif.

"Hey, Yusif?"

"Yeah, Ash?" replied the older man.

"Where does that small river lead off to?"

Yusif looked at the lake and noticed the river. "You mean that river coming from the lake? Oh, that is runoff water coming from a makeshift dam. It was inadvertently created after the founding of Galope Town, during a particularly fierce rainstorm. The heavy downpour filled up a large crater in a mountain nearby, Galope Mountain, which is part of the racing track. The crater quickly overflowed and collapsed, nearly unleashing torrents of water that threatened to destroy the town, which was still new at the time. Fortunately for our ancestors, the falling rocks got stuck in a tight crevice and blocked off most of the water. Since it blocks off a large body of water, while still allowing some of it to come to town so we can thrive from it, the people now just call it the Galope Dam, even if it's not actually an official dam."

"The Galope Dam, huh?..."

"Yeah, that's correct." At that moment, Yusif looked to his right. "We're about to have a good view of the Galope Mountain soon, so you kids should look."

Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie followed Yusif's stare. It didn't take long for the jeep to pass the last of the trees and enter grassy farmlands that bordered Galope Town. Once it did, the four gasped collectively: standing just a couple of miles away was a large mountain that almost resembled a volcano.

"_Pika_!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Dede..." gasped Dedenne.

"Whoa...th-that's Galope Mountain?" asked Clemont, shocked.

"It's ginormous!" Bonnie exclaimed in wonder.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Yusif remarked while Joey smiled slightly in amusement at the group's reaction. "You're gonna be racing around there, Ash."

"On that mountain?!" The young Trainer made a determined fist. "Awesome!"

"You're...You're not scared, Ash?..." Charlotte asked, surprised to see Ash's reaction.

"Well, of course not, Charlotte!" Ash looked at the blonde girl with a large, confident smile. "It's always great to be daring and do things you never do! Racing around on a large mountain is something I'm definitely gonna do, no matter how big and scary that mountain is or is supposed to be!"

Clemont chuckled and shook his head. "I guess Ash has made up his mind..." he said. "Once he's put his mind on something, there's no turning back for him!"

"Wow, that's so, so brave of you, Ash!" exclaimed Bonnie. "Standing up to that big, bad mountain? Awesome! I really wish Clemont had your guts, Ash!"

"Dede!" chirped Dedenne in agreement.

Clemont, blushing furiously with embarrassment, shouted, "Don't say that, Bonnie! Of course I've got guts too! I just...I just use them only whenever it's necessary!"

"Oh, I definitely agree," piped Charlotte, catching Clemont's attention.

The inventor looked at her, surprised (and actually a bit pleased) by her statement. "What, you do?"

However, Charlotte wasn't looking at Clemont; instead, she was looking at Ash. She leaned her face close to his, her hazel eyes shimmering with wonder.

"Bonnie's so right, Ash," she said. "You've totally got guts! You know, I really like the type of guy that's daring..."

Serena immediately started gagging in shock and outrage, but no one noticed. Ash, surprised by Charlotte's latest move, inched his face away from hers. Just like the last time, his cheeks were florid in embarrassment, and now, there were some noticeable beads of sweat present on his forehead.

"Th-Thanks...I-I guess..." he stuttered nervously.

"Pika..." Once again, Pikachu was disappointed in his Trainer's less-than-worthy reaction.

As for Clemont, he sighed sadly. _"I thought someone had their attention on me for once..."_ he thought. Then, the aspiring inventor shrugged. _"Oh, well..."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** And here we are, the fourth chapter! It's shorter than I expected, but whatever. So, it looks like Serena's found a rival for Ash's affections, and we're getting to learn more details about Galope Town. Whether or not the details that we have just learned will play an important role in the story, that'll be pretty much unknown to everyone except me! You're gonna have to stay tuned to see what exact kind of importance they'll play! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! ...Ah yes, I'm evil, aren't I?

I would like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):

**colonelstars1911**

**King nintendo (guest reviewer)**

**je18855**

**b0ss**

**chablaven**

**PocketMonstersDaisuki**

**Avatar Rikki**

**Guest reviewer**

**MizarW**

**OmegaEGG**

**Superman (guest reviewer)**

**Plasma57**

**BannanGodis**

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	5. Galope Town

**A/N:** Well, you guys definitely haven't disappointed me. Thanks for all of the specific reviews! Not as much as I hoped, but enough to warrant a reward in the form of this newest update for this excellent story! YAY! Keep up the good work, guys, and I guarantee it that a similar reward will be on the way.

Alright, now that that's out of the way, on with the chapter. ENJOY!

* * *

><p><strong>Galope Town<br>The Kalos region**

"Here we are, kids!" Yusif announced proudly as he parked his jeep at the side of the road. "Galope Town!"

Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Charlotte, and Joey dismounted the vehicle, with the former four gasping in awe at the location that they were currently in: the town's central plaza, which they were now able to examine up close in all of its glory. It was circular, being surrounded by two-story buildings that were all stores, and had a set of trees bordering its sidewalks. At the middle of the plaza was the fountain of a Rhyhorn standing up on its hind legs, its jockey still riding on its back, which was now majestically spouting out water from the Rhyhorn's mouth and the jockey's outstretched hand. It was being admired by several people, most of them tourists. At this point, the strange heat wave that had plagued Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie had disappeared, explaining the lack of sweat on their foreheads now.

"PIKA!" Pikachu cried in amazement, looking around at the plaza.

"Wow, that is such an awesome fountain!" exclaimed Ash as he stared at it.

Yusif smiled at the enthusiasm of Ash and the others. "Glad to see you kids are enjoying the view. Now, if you'll hold on for a few minutes, I need to take all of these supplies into the store. I won't be long." He then gathered all of the materials in the trunk of the jeep and entered a nearby store, leaving the others by themselves.

"Let's see this fountain up close, Pikachu!" Ash said, looking at his partner Pokémon.

"Pikachu!" replied the Mouse Pokémon as Ash dashed towards the fountain, startling nearby tourists as he sprinted past them at a high speed.

Charlotte chuckled in amusement as she watched the raven-haired Trainer look at every single nook and cranny of the fountain with such a childlike captivation. It did not take long for Bonnie to join him in his exploration, and both of them were marveling at the fountain. Then, Charlotte turned her head towards Serena.

"Ash is such a funny guy, isn't he, Serena?" she asked, a twinkle present in her hazel eye, something that Serena caught.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess he is," the honey-haired Trainer replied quickly with a noticeable irritated tone.

However, Charlotte failed to notice the tone, having already begun to assist her father alongside Joey in bringing the supplies into the store. She was really starting to dislike Charlotte more and more, now that it was obvious she was interested in Ash romantically. Serena knew that she had to stop that somehow. There was no way that she could be able to live with having a rival for Ash's affections. She HAD to stop it...but how? That was the real question...

In wonder, she began drinking from the canteen that Yusif provided to her and her friends (thank Arceus for that, considering their thirst) when...

"Serena?" a familiar voice called. "_Serena_? Is that you?..."

Her eyes widened upon recognizing the voice. She immediately spotted a couple approaching them. The woman had light-brown hair and green eyes, and she wore a blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves and white sweatpants; there was a large, noticeable bulge present in her abdomen. The man had black hair and beady eyes, and was wearing a turquoise short-sleeved shirt, a dark-gray undershirt, and gray pants. Serena's eyes widened, and she smiled widely.

"Aunt Layla!" she exclaimed. "Uncle Moose!"

"Hey, Serena," greeted Layla as she came up to her. "It's been a while. What're you doing here?"

"We're here to watch the centennial race." Serena's eyes were especially bright. "It's been so long since we met face-to-face! How long was it?..."

"I think, what, six years?"

"Seven, honey," Moose corrected, bumping his wife's shoulder lightly. He then looked back at his niece. "Arceus, you've grown since then, Serena. I mean, it was very obvious during our phone calls, but to see you up close and personal after so long is quite a different thing. You look a lot like your mother, Serena."

The girl frowned suddenly. "Yeah, thanks..." she replied, trying her best to hide the bitter tone in her voice. Fortunately, Moose didn't notice.

"Oh, speaking of your mother, she's here with us, right now!"

Serena's eyes widened again, but this time in horror. "What?"

"Oh, yes," Layla said. "She's been telling us nonstop about how she misses you." She then looked over her shoulder. "Oh, there she is! Hey, Grace! Serena's here!"

"Serena?" a second familiar voice asked. Serena could feel herself shrinking. There was no way, no way in Arceus's Heaven this was possible...

"Fletchling!"

A Fletchling suddenly appeared and landed on top of her hat, confirming her suspicions. She sighed sadly, just as Charlotte and Joey reappeared and noticed the Tiny Robin Pokémon that was perched on her hat. "Hey, Serena," Charlotte said, "do you know this Fletchling from somewhere?"

"Unfortunately..."

The five turned their heads back to the fountain, watching as a particular woman ran up to them. She had dark-brown hair, blue eyes, and wearing a dark-blue short-sleeved shirt, light-green sweatpants, and a large, light-green sweatshirt that was tied around her waist. Serena groaned in disappointment and felt herself shrinking even further. There was just no possible way this was happening to her right now. She never even saw this coming...

The woman ran up to her. "Serena, oh my goodness, I never thought that I'd see _you_ here!"

"Yeah, me neither, Mom..." groaned Serena, the irritation more evident in her voice. "Me neither..."

Grace laughed despite having registered her daughter's true reaction. "Yeah, it's good to see you too, honey." She looked at a different direction. "Hey, Yusif!"

Serena's eyes widened as her newfound friend reappeared. "You two know each other?"

"Oh, yeah," Yusif replied as he flashed a smile of greeting at Grace, Layla, and Moore. "We all met a couple of days ago when the racing track staff invited Grace here to be a guest racer in our centennial celebratory competition. See, I happen to be the track's groundskeeper, and I was assigned to give them a tour of the place." He looked back at Grace. "So, _this_ is the Serena you were talking about, Grace? Your only daughter? 'Cause you two barely look alike..."

Grace nodded proudly as Fletchling flew off of Serena's hat and onto its owner's shoulder. "Yep, that's right, Yusif. That's my little jockey."

"STOP CALLING ME **THAT**, MOM!" roared Serena, her loud voice cracking as it reverberated throughout the entire plaza, causing everyone to stop in their tracks. She could feel the heat quickly rush up to her face, especially in her cheeks, as everyone looked at her, while Charlotte and Joey were struggling to contain their laughter, no doubt at Grace's nickname for her, much to her dismay. _"Oh no, I've really made a fool of myself now... Oh no, Mom, why'd you have to be here?..."_

"Hey, is everything alright over there, Serena?" Ash was running back to the group, followed closely by Clemont and Bonnie.

_"Oh great, Ash heard me too. Well, isn't that great?..."_

"Yeah, everything's fine, don't worry," replied Grace suddenly, smiling at Ash. "Just Serena being her usual self."

Ash's eyes widened as he recognized the woman. "Hey, you're Serena's mom, right?"

"Yes, that's right. And your name's...Ash, right?"

"Yeah, that's right! Man, it's so nice to actually meet you in person!" He then noticed Layla and Moore. "Wait a minute, don't I know you two from somewhere?..."

"Indeed you do," Layla replied, smiling. "We met on a train back in Sinnoh! You had that Shaymin with you and your friends!"

Ash's eyes widened as he remembered his journey to the Flower Garden with Shaymin in the Sinnoh region. "Oh yeah, that's right! Man, that was such a while ago! I never thought I'd see you guys here again." He raised an eyebrow. "So, what're you two doing here in Galope Town?"

"Oh, we're accompanying Grace." She shoved Grace lightly in a teasing manner. "She's my dumb older sister."

"Excuse me, since when was I dumb?" replied the former jockey sarcastically, crossing her arms.

"Oh, ever since you nearly killed that reporter at the finish line a long time ago, started hanging out with him, and-"

"Not in front of the children!" Grace interrupted, her eyes wide as she waved her hands.

"Wow, never knew you two were sisters," remarked Ash, examining both Grace and Layla.

"Well, we are-" She rolled her eyes sarcastically. "-unfortunately."

"Oh, ha ha ha," Layla replied in equal sarcasm.

Grace then looked at Clemont and Bonnie as they caught up to Ash. "Oh, and you two are Clemont and Bonnie, right?"

"Yes, th-that's right..." replied Clemont in-between pants; he was obviously still exhausted from the short run.

"A pleasure to meet all of you. I hope you've been keeping my little jockey-" Serena blushed in embarrassment as Grace referred to the nickname. "-safe, right?"

"Oh, Serena does just fine without any help," Ash said, smiling at his friend, whose blushed increased as she smiled back. "You don't need to worry, Grace."

"Oh, that's great to know." Grace looked from Ash to Serena again. "Considering you've always never been a fan of the outdoors, Serena."

"Well, I'm fine now, Mom," replied Serena, trying to hold back the growl in her voice. "So...you're gonna be here for a bit?"

"Yep, for the entirety of the centennial celebration. It is a very important event in Galope Town, and they want a big name in Rhyhorn Racing like mine to particularly endorse this century-long tradition of theirs." Then, her smile widened slightly as a twinkle came to her eye. "Say...you're here to participate in the race too, right?"

"No!" Serena's tone was extremely defensive. "No, definitely not! I'm not doing that!"

Grace's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Why not, Serena?"

"Because I'm not doing Rhyhorn Racing anymore!"

A deathly silence soon fell over the brown-haired woman as she stared down her daughter, her eyes not clearly exhibiting any sort of emotion or reaction. Sensing the mounting tension of the situation, everyone else in the group warily stepped back, hoping to give the mother-daughter duo some well-needed privacy.

Finally, Grace asked, her voice strangely calm, "And why not, Serena?"

"Because it's just not my style, Mom." Serena's eyes softened. "It's not my style." She was silent for a moment. "...Mom, I know that you think I hate Rhyhorn Racing with such a burning passion. Well, I used to, indeed, but a certain event had changed my opinion on it. Really Mom, it did-"

"Then why the unenthusiastic attitude for Rhyhorn Racing, then? Hm? Why the usual sass towards it?"

"Because I found something that I really want to do."

"Oh, really?" Grace crossed her arms; Serena could sense the disapproval from a mile away. "Enlighten me, Serena."

"Pokémon Performing." Her voice was nearly caught in her throat, but Serena managed to deliver her response effectively. "That's what I want to do in life, Mom."

Grace was silent again. Then, she replied, "Pokémon Performing. You mean you're participating in those silly competitions that feature scantily dressed girls?"

The honey-haired Trainer's eyes widened in horror at the insult. "They're not silly, Mom! And for your information, I haven't participated in one yet. But I plan to."

"I warn you, Serena, I think you should avoid those things entirely." She shook her head in disapproval. "Honestly, how are you gonna be one with your Pokémon just from showing them and yourself off? Where's the dynamic in that? Oh, and on an entirely different manner, those guys who like to watch those things-"

"MOM!" snapped Serena. "I don't mean to disrespect Rhyhorn Racing, but I'm not pursuing it as a goal! My goal is to become a Pokémon Performer, and that's that!"

Once again, Grace was silent. Then, she sighed and closed her eyes in a way that Serena recognized (to her relief) as defeat.

"Well, I could just go on with how this is not a good goal for you, honey," said the mother, "but I don't want to do this right now. Not when there's an important event coming up soon." She then opened her eyes, a blazing glint in them as she did so. "But don't you think that this argument's over, Serena. We'll talk about this _later_."

Serena frowned at her mother's response. She should have known better than to expect instant defeat from a determined former Rhyhorn Racer like her. However, as the honey-haired Trainer took a brief glance towards her friends, especially Ash, all of whom looked concerned, she immediately knew that this had to be in their best interests for the time being. As long as they weren't in close proximity to them when they resumed their debate, it would be fine. She didn't want to concern them.

She then nodded in agreement at Grace, her frown still in place as she did so.

"That sounds quite fine to me. _Mother_."

* * *

><p><strong>Several minutes later<strong>

"Thanks for taking us on this tour, Yusif," Ash said as Yusif led the rest of the group down a concrete sidewalk.

"Happy to help out, Ash," replied Yusif, giving the Trainer a grin and a thumbs-up. "Considering that you're planning to participate in the centennial races, I think you and the others might as well learn about what goes on in the Derby Town, as the tourists like to call it." He then chuckled heartily. "Trust me, you're gonna like these races, Ash. They're gonna be the best minutes of your life." He winked emphatically with a wider grin than the previous one. "I guarantee it!"

"Yeah." Ash raised a determined fist. "I know I'm definitely gonna enjoy it, 'cause I'm in this race to win it! I won't lose!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu added in equal determination.

Grace placed her hands on her hips, impressed. "Well, glad to see that _someone_ recognizes the thrill and enjoyment of Rhyhorn Races."

Beside her mother, Serena's face turned red in anger, for she could sense the true meaning behind Grace's sentence. She could tell her mother was still upset.

However, she ignored it as soon as Bonnie began talking; the young girl was focused on Layla's abdomen.

"Are you having a baby?!" she asked excitedly, her cheeks florid.

"Yeah, twins actually," Layla replied as she rubbed her belly.

"We're both proud," added Moose as he smiled happily.

"Are the twins boys or girls or both?"

"Bonnie!" exclaimed Clemont sternly, looking at his younger sister. "You shouldn't be asking them personal questions so suddenly like that-"

"No, it's okay, Clemont," Layla replied, smiling. Then, she looked back at Bonnie. "They're both girls."

"Both of them? YIPPEE!" Bonnie started hopping up and down in excitement. "I can't wait till they come out! I'd like to take care of them!"

"Dedenne!" added an equally excited Dedenne.

Layla and Moose chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm, while Clemont began to blush in slight embarrassment. His blushing only increased when an excited Charlotte also joined in on Bonnie's cheering. Just then, a ringing echoed in the air. The group had stopped in front of the bell tower they had seen earlier at the top of the cliff.

"Whoa, that tower is so BIG!" exclaimed Bonnie excitedly.

"Yep," Yusif replied. "That up there is the bell tower. It's been around since the town's founding almost a hundred years ago. I remember it always being my morning alarm as a child. ...It actually still is." As soon as the group heard ten consecutive rings emanate from the bell, he smiled. "Ah, good to see this thing's been fixed!"

"Fixed?" Clemont asked, turning to Yusif. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, a lot of things have started malfunctioning all over town since a couple of days ago. That is why we were out of town in the first place when we found you guys and gave you four a ride here. We were getting supplies from the next town because the supplies we had for an electrical store here all got fried out."

"Yeah," Grace added, sighing. "We had to deal with the heat wave without air-conditioning in our rooms for an entire night. It was weird."

"It was horrible," said Moose, shaking his head.

"Do you know what caused these malfunctions, Yusif?" asked Ash.

"No one knows," Joey replied. "But they came at the same time as that heat wave from before. Everyone believes the heat wave has something to do with it, but..."

"Anyone ever heard of a heat wave that can cause widespread electronic malfunction?" Yusif completed. He then looked back at the bell tower. "It was strange indeed. But we're recovering quickly from it at the very least." Then, he looked back at Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Wanna go explore the bell tower?"

"You bet!" Ash exclaimed in response.

"Pika!"

"Same here!" added Bonnie.

"Dede!"

"I guess I have no other choice," Clemont said, shrugging, while Serena simply nodded in agreement.

"I guess the jury has spoken on the matter," Yusif replied. He then gestured the group to get behind him. "Come on, follow me."

Yusif led the rest of the group into the tower, and they went up a staircase that was nearby. It did not take long for them to reach the top of the tower, where the bell chamber was located. By that time, the ringing of the bell had subsided. As they went up the staircase, Ash and his friends heard a voice that was extremely familiar to them, especially to Clemont and Bonnie. Upon hearing it, Clemont in particular became nervous, wondering why that specific person was here.

"Excellent job, Ampharos!"

"Amph!"

"Ampharos?..." Bonnie remarked as the group finally reached the chamber.

There, they found a large and muscular man working on a device attached to several gears, which in turned were attached to the bell itself. The man had dark-brown hair, a spiky beard, and hazel eyes. He was wearing a dark-blue undershirt and blue overalls with yellow latches. Accompanying this man was an Ampharos, who was delivering a small Discharge onto the device. Once they were finished, the man turned around, revealing his grimy face and clothes, and his eyes widened.

"Hm, kids?" he asked.

"Dad?!" Clemont exclaimed, his suspicions confirmed.

"Daddy, what're you doing here?!" cried Bonnie, shocked.

"Dede?" added Dedenne in curiosity.

Meyer blinked in surprise. "I was gonna ask you the same thing." He then noticed Ash and Serena. "Ah, you two are here as well?" Then, he spotted Yusif and closed his eyes with some sort of satisfaction. "Well then, at least I don't have to introduce you kids to Yusif anyway, considering you obviously did so already."

"You know our daddy too, Yusif?" Bonnie asked, looking at the other man.

Yusif grinned. "Well, believe it or not, he's an old friend of mine." He looked at Meyer. "You told me your children were named Clemont and Bonnie, and that Clemont's the Lumiose City Gym Leader, but I never expected it to be these two. Heh, what do you know?" He closed his eyes and shrugged. "Talk about coincidences, man."

Meyer shrugged back before looking at Clemont and Bonnie again. "So, how are you doing, Clemont, Bonnie? Well, I hope?"

"We're doing fine, Dad," Clemont replied.

"Ah, that's good to know." The electrician then looked back at Ash and Serena. "And I hope you two have been taking care of my kids?"

"Yes, we are," Ash said, "but like I said once earlier, they're doing fine just by themselves. They never needed any help, so you don't need to worry."

A wide grin appeared on the electrician's face. "Well, I'm extremely glad to hear that." His focus then became trained on Serena, and his grin became crafty. "I take it that I will need to keep a closer eye on Clemont, am I right?" He then wiggled his eyebrows for full effect, which instantly caused both Clemont and Serena to blush.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, DAD!" shouted the aspiring inventor, the redness on his face almost resembling what one would find on a slab of overheated metal.

Unfortunately, Grace was now looking at Serena, awestruck by this apparent revelation.

"Is this true, Serena?" she asked, her eyebrows raised and her eyes glinting with excitement. "You actually got yourself a _boyfriend_? How marvelous!"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, MOM!" shouted the honey-haired Trainer, looking about ready to collapse like a pile of bricks.

"Oh, come on, honey." Grace closed one of her eyes and tilted her head in a teasing manner. "You shouldn't be embarrassed just because of your boyfriend's looks. It just isn't all that ethical. I mean, it really shouldn't matter about what your boyfriend looks like; it's the _personality_ that counts in the end."

"WE'RE NOT DATING, MOM/DAD!" Serena and Clemont screeched simultaneously. "STOP THINKING WE'RE DATING, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

Meyer and Grace looked at one another in understanding, then replied simultaneously, "Denial is the number-one indicator-"

**"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, MOM/DAD!"**

Meanwhile, the children looked at each other in confusion. As for Yusif, Layla, and Moose, they merely watched on in amusement as the conversation continued.

"Ah, the joys of parenthood," Moose remarked. "Can't wait till we're the ones doing that, honey."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the conversation to end. Afterwards, Yusif introduced the group to the bell, which he described as being made of a metal that never needed any changes or maintenance for the entire century of its existence, and added that the metal was signed by an ancestor of the Kalos Champion Diantha. During the whole introduction, Serena and Clemont remained extremely tense and embarrassed around Grace and Meyer; this continued as the group went back down the staircase.<p>

"Thanks a lot for helping us fix our electronic materials, Meyer," Yusif said. "The townspeople can now rest easy tonight."

"Hey, no problem," replied the electrician, smiling jollily. "Anything for a good friend. And at the very least, I got to meet up with my beloved kids again." He abruptly wrapped an arm around Clemont's neck and rightly held him close, while he ruffled Bonnie's hair with his other hand, a bit roughly so. "I missed you two so much."

"I...can see...that..." gagged Clemont, becoming relieved when his father released him.

"So, Ash," Meyer said, addressing the raven-haired Trainer this time, "you plan on participating in that centennial race, is that right?"

"Yeah." Ash turned around to look at Meyer. "How'd you know that? I never mentioned it to you."

Meyer shrugged. "Oh, intuition I supposed." He bumped Clemont's shoulder lightly with his elbow. "I know Clemont won't participate even if his life depended on it."

Clemont blushed again. "I can participate in it, Dad; don't say that-"

"Alright, then. Sign up for it. A rush of adrenaline should be very good for you."

"What do _you_ know about adrenaline, Dad?..." Clemont whispered inaudibly to himself.

"What was that, Clemont?"

"Nothing." He then looked down at the ground. For some reason, an unknown force compelled him to continue, "Yeah...I'll sign up for it..."

Meyer then slapped Clemont on the back in what he would consider as a light slap, although Clemont nearly fell over from the true power of it.

"Now that's the spirit, Clemont!" he exclaimed happily. Then, he checked his watch. "Oh, I forgot, I need to get to another store to fix their equipment." He ruffled his son's hair roughly. "It's great to see you again, Clemont. Same with you, Bonnie." He looked at the rest of the group. "I'll see you all later!"

"See ya, Meyer!" Ash replied as the electrician saluted to them all before leaving with Ampharos. As soon as he disappeared from the scene, Yusif glared at Clemont.

"Good to hear we have another jockey!" he said, smiling. "The more, the merrier!"

"Yeah, well good luck, boys," Grace replied, crossing her arms as a proud smirk came onto her face. "'Cause you two are gonna be facing off against _me_, the golden winner of twenty consecutive Rhyhorn Racing seasons. I can only hope squaring off against you will be more than just mere pushovers."

"Well, challenge accepted, then," Ash said.

"Pika!"

Layla chuckled as she approached her older sister. "Oh, Ash, you'd better watch out. Grace is a real pro at these races. I've seen her racing several times, and I'll tell you, she never hesitates to leave an opponent in her dust." She looked at the raven-haired Trainer. "You have to be at the top of your game."

"I have no reason to worry about that. Because me and Clemont have something to our advantage."

"Oh, really?" A glint appeared in Grace's eyes. "And that would be?"

"Serena!"

Upon hearing Ash address her name, the honey-haired girl blushed. Then, she could feel her blood become as cold as the Arctic when her mother spoke again.

"Oh. ...Serena, you say?"

"Yeah, she's gonna teach us everything about how to race. I mean, she has already taught me how to do it a couple of months ago, but I think my mind needs a little reviewing on it." He turned to Serena, smiling. "Is that alright with you, Serena? You're gonna teach me and Clemont how to race?"

"Y-Y-_Yeah_..." she replied before she could stop herself.

"Uh-huh..." Grace looked at Serena, the glint still in her eye. The girl immediately looked away, wanting to avoid any further embarrassment on the subject.

* * *

><p>From up above in the sky, Team Rocket continued to observe the group with their binoculars as they walked down the sidewalk. Meowth scowled in annoyance.<p>

"Man, dem twoips don't know when ta stop friending other peeps an' giving 'em twoip-itis!" he snapped.

"Hmmm..." However, Jessie was smiling. "It looks like there's some drama going on between the twerpette and one of the older gals. Likely her mom, I suppose." Her grin widened. "If there's something I love better than fashion and snatching Pikachu for the boss, it's the drama from soap-operas."

"Hm, she looks _familiar_..." remarked James as he peered closer through the binoculars' lenses.

Jessie lowered his binoculars, frowning. "Really. How could an average, everyday face like _that_ look familiar to _you_, James?"

The blue-haired man lowered his as well and began searching his knapsack. "No, I know I've seen that face from somewhere before..." After rummaging through the many items contained inside the sack, he pulled out a small magazine and began flipping through the pages. "Hold on, hold on... Ah-ha! Found her!"

"Found who?" Jessie asked as she peered across her accomplice's shoulder.

"Her!" James displayed the page for his comrades to see; it depicted Grace wearing her old jockey suit and standing beside her Rhyhorn. "This gal was a top racer in the olden days, and she still gets big attention from time to time! I remember following her races in the _Racing Action Gazette_ when I was a wee lil' lad!"

Meowth grabbed the magazine from James's hands and read the article. Then, a toothy grin appeared on the Scratch Cat Pokémon's face.

"I know what we can do in addition ta capturing Pikachu!" he exclaimed. "We can catch dat Rhyhorn and give it ta da boss!"

"Really?" asked Jessie. "What use would a Rhyhorn be for the boss?"

"Imagine dis! Team Rocket's executed deir mission ta conquer da woyld! However, dey're losing ta da cops and Pokémon Rangers and da like! When da grunts cry and beg for deir savia', den dat's when da boss appears on 'is Rhyhorn, attacking all da resistances he can find! And wit' Rhyhorn on his side, he will be able ta lead Team Rocket ta victory! And once Team Rocket's conquered da woyld, subjugated its population, and become all da wiser, guess what da boss will say next? 'I would love ta tank Meowth and 'is friends for giving me dis Rhyhorn that rode me ta conquest. For dis honorable serivce, I'll reward dem with special promotions!'"

"OOH!" Jessie and James exclaimed simultaneously. "SPECIAL PROMOTIONS!"

"We'll be at da top of Team Rocket once again!" shouted Meowth.

"TEAM ROCKET SHALL TRIUMPH!" all three chorused.

...

Suddenly, two small grumbling noises emanated through the air, and Meowth looked at Jessie and James suspiciously. They immediately clutched their stomachs.

"Still _hungry_..." moaned James.

"Are we _really_ gonna go through dis again?!" Meowth snapped furiously. He then leaped into the air, his claws glowing white as he slashed at Jessie and James's faces with them. "We're Team Rocket, and we shall triumph! So get ya acts together and stick wit da program, ya two dimwits!"

"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT!"

Again, Wobbuffet emerged from its Poké Ball and exclaimed, "Wobbuffet!"

* * *

><p><strong>The Rhyhorn Racing Track<br>Several minutes later**

"Here we are, everyone!" Yusif exclaimed, his arms outstretched. "The top location of Galope Town! The Rhyhorn Racing Track!"

The group was currently standing in the audience stands, which were overlooking the starting line of the track. The track was a dirt trail that cut through the area in a straight line, but a circular area was neighboring this trail. The area was fenced off and contained a herd of tamed Rhyhorn used for the races as they ate and roamed about. Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Dedenne all noticed that some jockeys were also present inside the area, tending to their Rhyhorn.

"Whoa, look at all those Rhyhorn!" cried Ash.

"Yep," Joey replied, leaning against the railing. "All of them primed for top racing."

"Awesome..."

Meanwhile, Serena noticed one particular Rhyhorn standing near the fence of the Rhyhorn pen, roaring towards them, seemingly in greeting. She could feel a strange but welcoming familiarity with it. Before she could ask about it, Grace approached her and said, "Yeah, that's our Rhyhorn over there, Serena."

"That's Rhyhorn?" Serena looked back at the pen, where Rhyhorn was still roaring at them. She then smiled and waved. "Hey, Rhyhorn! It's good to see you again!"

Rhyhorn responded with a single roar, to which Yusif asked, "Wanna go over to the pen?"

"Sure!" Serena replied enthusiastically.

Grace let out a hollow laugh and said, "Not excited for Rhyhorn Racing, are we?..."

The female Trainer immediately frowned angrily. "Mom, not now. I just missed Rhyhorn, and that's all there is to it."

She immediately followed Yusif as he guided to her towards the pen; the others followed right behind them. On their way there, Layla immediately approached Grace.

"Sis," she said, "don't you think you're being a little too rough on Serena?"

"So?" replied Grace, looking at her stubbornly.

"Well, Serena has her own dreams and goals. As her mother, I don't think you should just look down upon them."

Grace sighed and looked at Serena. "Look, Layle, I wouldn't be so disapproving of what she wants to do if that exact goal of hers wasn't so..._risky_, per se."

"And how exactly is Pokémon Performing risky, Grace? I don't recall any notable incidents regarding that profession."

"Oh, if only you knew, Layle..." Grace shook her head. "If only you knew. Then, you'd understand."

By that point, the group already reached the pen. As they did, they spotted two young adults tending to the Rhyhorn inside, both of whom were wearing bright-green overalls. The man had bluish-black hair and eyes and wore a bright-green cap that was facing backwards, while the woman had sleek brown hair and hazel eyes and wore a bright-green bandana with a half-Poké Ball insignia. Both of them seemed to be talking to each other in worried tones as they tended to the Rhyhorn.

"I'm worried about this year's race, Amala," the man said. "We're sliding real good..."

"Yeah," replied the woman. "I've already started looking into available jobs at Shalour City and Coumarine City."

"Really, you're doing that?"

"Yeah..."

"Amala, Foster," Yusif greeted, having not heard their pessimistic exchange, "how are all the Rhyhorn doing?"

"Oh, all in tip-top shape, Yusif," the man named Foster replied. "I am confident that they're all ready for the races in a couple of days." He then spotted Grace, Layla, Moose, Joey, and Charlotte, smiling and waving at them before noticing Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Oh, and who are these people, Yusif?"

"Oh, these are our new friends. The kids and I picked them up from the side of Route 12." The groundskeeper pointed at them one by one. "Ash, his Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and her Dedenne. It just so happens that Serena is Grace's daughter and Layla and Moose's niece, while Clemont and Bonnie are Meyer's kids." He then looked at the group. "Kids, these are my trusted Rhyhorn breeders, Amala and Foster. If you have any questions about the Rhyhorn, just ask them."

"Yeah, don't be afraid to ask," added Foster.

"It's nice to meet you guys," Serena said politely as she smiled.

"Serena, huh?" said the woman named Amala. She leaned towards the girl to examine her further, and then smiled. "Well, I never thought I'd meet you."

"Hm?" Serena replied, confused.

Charlotte nudged the honey-haired Trainer's shoulder and explained, "I showed Amala your PokéVision video. She's as impressed by it as I was."

"Mm-hm." Amala nodded. "I really loved it, Serena. You and your Fennekin were so adorable!"

"You make PokéVision videos, Serena?" Grace asked suddenly, looking at her daughter with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I do, _Mother_," Serena replied quickly before refocusing on Amala. "Thanks for the compliment, Amala. I really appreciate it."

"Can I see your Fennekin, please?"

"Yeah, sure!" Smiling, Serena took out Fennekin's Poké Ball and threw it into the air. "Come on out, Fennekin!"

The Poké Ball unleashed the Fox Pokémon, which barked happily at Amala. The woman gasped in awe and knelt down towards it.

"Aw, your Fennekin's so cute!" she exclaimed.

"I know, right?!" squealed Charlotte in agreement. "Just the cutest!"

Yusif suddenly cleared his throat, which caught the attentions of both Charlotte and Amala. "You could adore Fennekin all the time you want, girls," he said, "but first, Amala, could you let us into the pen?" He gestured to the small door on the fence. "Grace and Serena are here to see their Rhyhorn."

"Sure thing, Yusif." Amala stood up, procured a set of keys, and used them to unlock the door, allowing the group inside. At that moment, Grace's Rhyhorn, which was nearby, roared in greeting before approaching them. Grace smiled and knelt down towards Rhyhorn, stroking its head.

"Hey there, Rhyhorn," she greeted. "I hope you're doing fine in here."

She was met with a coo from Rhyhorn as a response. Foster immediately approached her, smiling.

"We've examined it while you were gone, just as you requested, Grace," he reported as he patted the Spikes Pokémon's back softly. "Your Rhyhorn's still in top racing condition, like it only raced yesterday. There'll be no problems with you and Rhyhorn during the upcoming race, I assure you."

"That's good."

"So, Foster," Ash said, approaching the breeder, "you got any available Rhyhorn for me?"

"Planning on participating in the race, huh? Alright, we have a couple right over there. Follow me."

Ash, Pikachu, and Foster walked away from the rest of the group as Serena watched them go. She wanted to follow Ash and make sure Charlotte wouldn't get to him somehow, but she unfortunately found herself being distracted by the attention Amala and Charlotte were giving to her Fennekin. It was also extremely obvious that the Fox Pokémon was relishing happily in the attention she was receiving, as she constantly cooed whenever they stroked her fur and tail.

"Your Fennekin is just so adorable, Serena!" Amala exclaimed. "I can see it's been well taken care of. The smoothness of its fur, the elegance and health displayed by its appearance, the confidence it has in other humans touching it, it is all there. In all of my years as a breeder, I haven't seen a healthier and more-loved Pokémon."

"Thanks, Amala," replied Serena, blushing nervously. "I try my best at raising Fennekin..."

"Do you have any other Pokémon besides Fennekin, Serena?" asked Charlotte, looking up at her. "I'd love to see what other Pokémon you have on your team!"

"Oh, yeah. I do have one other Pokémon on my team. I just caught it." She pulled out a Poké Ball containing her new Pokémon. "Come on out, Pancham!"

The Playful Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball, and immediately adjusted the red sunglasses it was wearing. Then, it looked around, examining its surroundings.

"Pancham?" it asked curiously.

"Oh my goodness!" Charlotte squealed loudly, startling it. "Pancham's so CUTE! I JUST WANNA HUG IT AND KISS IT AND-"

In its surprise and fear, Pancham abruptly fired a Dark Pulse attack at Charlotte, hitting her and knocking her backward. Serena screamed in shock as Yusif, Joey, and Amala ran over to the fallen blonde girl. Fortunately, Charlotte was slightly injured and was instead laughing in some sort of relief.

"Wow, Pancham's Dark Pulse packs quite a punch, doesn't it?" she asked between laughs.

"I'm so sorry," Serena replied as Yusif and Amala helped Charlotte up back to her feet. "Pancham was surprised, that's all."

"Hey, don't blame Pancham," said Joey, smirking. "Blame the hyperactive girl for freaking out over a little Pancham."

"Hey, Pancham was cute, all right?" snapped Charlotte, pouting. "Don't judge me."

Layla, who had just started observing the scene nearby, decided to approach Serena. As she did, she eyed Pancham as it continued to stare at Charlotte warily.

"Hey, Serena," she said, "do you think Pancham likes to be held by other people?"

"Depends," replied the girl as she looked back at her Playful Pokémon. "Pancham, this is my Aunt Layla. Can she hold you? She's a very nice person, so don't worry."

Pancham looked at Layla, then at Serena, who smiled at it in reassurance. Convinced by its Trainer, the Playful Pokémon dashed over into Layla's arms, then began to coo at the woman's touch. Layla chuckled happily as she began to stroke its fur, while Moose approached her side.

"Such a cute Pokémon you have, Serena," remarked Moose.

"Oh, thanks Uncle Moose."

"OH, OH, CAN I HOLD PANCHAM NEXT?!" Charlotte squealed, hopping up and down in excitement. However, she was immediately greeted with another Dark Pulse.

* * *

><p>As everyone was focused on Serena's Pokémon, Clemont and Bonnie were observing the herd of Rhyhorn in interest (or at least for Bonnie) as the Spikes Pokémon all grazed in the pen. When they spotted Foster escorting Ash towards several available Rhyhorn, the young girl tugged at her brother's pants, catching his attention.<p>

"What is it, Bonnie?" the aspiring inventor asked.

"You should get your own Rhyhorn too!" exclaimed Bonnie. "Go and get one!"

"Dede!" Dedenne squeaked.

Clemont raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh?"

Bonnie's cheeks began to expand as she pouted. "You said you'd be racing on a Rhyhorn too, Clemont! You can't be in those Rhyhorn Races without a Rhyhorn!"

"Oh...yeah..." Clemont chuckled nervously. "Yeah, that's right... Heh heh heh..."

However, the inventor merely stood there for a few minutes, with Bonnie staring up at his face with an increasingly impatient expression that almost looked comedic. An awkward silence quickly fell upon the two siblings, who were now impervious to all other external sounds around them. Clemont could feel the hot beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. He now wished that his father were here so he could break the tension in his own special way, even if it was embarrassing to him.

"Well?" Bonnie finally asked.

"W-Well what?" replied Clemont, pretending to sound oblivious.

"Don't you 'well what' me! Go with Ash and find a Rhyhorn to ride on!"

"C-C-Can't it wait?..."

"What do you mean, Clemont? This could be your only chance to pick one! Come on, I'll be right beside you!"

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne, an enthusiastic expression on its adorable face.

"Yeah, that'd be a quite miracle right there..." remarked the inventor sarcastically.

However, the girl didn't notice the tone, and instead continued, "Well, what're you waiting for, Clemont?! Go get a Rhyhorn to ride on!"

"Y-Y-Yeah, sure..."

Clemont walked towards Ash and Foster's direction, followed closely by Bonnie. However, he found himself becoming increasingly reluctant to go through with his last-minute declaration of signing up for the Rhyhorn Race. He knew fully well he only did that just as a last-ditch effort to get Meyer off his back. To his dismay, it actually worked, and now, he was being expected to do something he didn't find himself fully prepared or equipped for: racing on a Rhyhorn in a serious competition.

He knew there was no way his inventions could save him this time around.

_"Oh, boy..."_ he thought as he grew closer and closer to Ash and Foster. _"How am I gonna deal with this Rhyhorn Race? I definitely can't handle it. If only I knew how to be like Ash. He can just suck everything up and do what he's needed to do without breaking a sweat. ...Confidence. That's what I sorely need from him..."_

"Number 14 here has high endurance," Foster was explaining to Ash as Clemont neared him, "and he can withstand any and all of the obstacles the race can throw at you. But he's also a bit heavyset, so he might be at a disadvantage when it comes to running and extra-point activities. Better keep that in mind if you choose him."

"Yeah, gotcha," replied Ash. At that moment, Clemont and Bonnie approached the two, and the raven-haired Trainer spotted their presence. "Oh, hey Clemont!"

"Hey, Ash..." Clemont responded meekly.

"You here to pick your Rhyhorn too? That's good."

"Uh-huh..."

Foster examined Clemont. "You too, huh?" His eyes then scanned the inventor's form from top to bottom. "Have you raced on a Rhyhorn before?"

"No."

"Well, with that said, you are gonna need a beginner's Rhyhorn. Having no experience at all will not do you good if you're racing on a standard racing Rhyhorn. Okay, let's see..." Foster took out a small clipboard and checked the list that was on it. "We only have one left, Number 28, but..." The breeder sweat-dropped and seemed to glance off at a different direction, his eye twitching slightly. "I'm not sure if it'll be good enough condition for your satisfaction, especially for a race like this one..."

By this point, Clemont was sulking from all of the expectations. "Oh, I don't really care. Just give it to me."

"Oh, come on, Clemont!" Ash exclaimed. "You have to care! This is a Rhyhorn Race we're talking about here!"

Clemont sighed. "What do you know about Rhyhorn Races, Ash?"

"Oh, only that it's one of the best things that ever happened to me in my entire life! To feel the air brushing across your face, to watch the world rush past you at high speeds, to be one with the Rhyhorn, as Serena always says... It's a very exciting feeling, Clemont. Once you feel all of the things I just described, you'll understand."

"...If you really insist, Ash..."

Foster raised an eyebrow. "So...does this mean you want to see Number 28, or not?"

Clemont shrugged. "Sure, I guess..."

"Alright, then. Ash, can you hold on for a moment?"

"It's okay." Ash approached the Rhyhorn that was designated Number 14. "I'm choosing this one."

"Alright. But just remember what I said about the Rhyhorn's weight!"

"Sure!"

"Alright, then!" Foster then gestured Clemont to follow him. "Right this way, Clemont-"

Just then, the ground in front of them exploded.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** CLIFFHANGER! Yes, I know, I'm evil. MWAHAHAHA! So, who (or what) do you think caused that explosion?! :O

Anyway, hopefully this chapter was good. I was being delayed a lot by college (which is why it took me two weeks to get this chapter done, considering the fact that it is **MUCH LONGER** than any of the previous chapters on this story), and I've got a gut feeling that the quality of this chapter is not as good as the previous ones. But don't fret, ladies and gentlemen! I'm pretty sure the chapter that's gonna follow up on this one will be much, MUCH better, because guess what?

It's gonna conclude Chapter 3's cliffhanger, I wholly guarantee that. HOORAY! :D

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**colonelstars1911:** Unfortunately, I've become evil once again. XD But don't worry, you won't be kept in suspense for long now.

**NGA96:** That, I shall indeed! :D

**Nemo (guest reviewer):** That is 100% accurate, good job! And thanks for your compliment on 'taking the initiative'. Glad to hear I really am the first who's delved into a topic such as the future in an AmourShipping story. And thanks for your constructive criticism, or lack thereof, logically! It means a lot.

**Plasma57:** Here's the update! Sorry it wasn't soon enough.

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** Don't worry, the meeting will happen in the next chapter.

**chablaven:** Glad you liked those bits! And don't worry, the meeting will happen in the next chapter.

**Pokemon2378:** Can you be a bit more specific on that?

**FightingSpirit321:** Ooh, that sounds like a potential subplot! ;) ;) ;) Well, in this story, there are no time paradoxes. I don't wanna make this story too complex, and I only want to dish out a straightforward, simple concept, that's all. The complexity can only be found in the upcoming "Separation" sequel.

**WiiFan2009:** Well, you're in luck! You'll see the meeting in the next one! :D

**OmegaEGG:** Sorry, but I needed specific reviews, not just short one-sentence reviews begging me to update; that I know already. And I've said it before and I'll say it again, the fateful 'reunion' will happen in the next chapter.

**MizarW:** Maybe that was the actual cause of the heat wave, maybe that wasn't; only time and updates will tell eventually! ;D And thanks again for pointing out that error of mine! It is very much appreciated. :)

**Leader of the Bronies:** I read about that tidbit with Serena PokéVision video on Bulbapedia, and I knew I had to incorporate it since the fact of it does tie in with my future universe. And don't worry, you'll see those two pairings in action in the future, both literally and figuratively! :D :D :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	6. The Pokemon Ranger Appears

**A/N:** Wow, this took longer than it really needed to. My apologies for the wait. I've been so busy with college, constructing the "Separation" sequel, and watching the new Fate/stay night anime as inspiration for said sequel (the tone and layout of the story I have planned is practically on par with that anime). But now, I've managed to get out of my recent forgetfulness and begin work on this update. Hopefully I didn't lose any devoted readers during the wait.

Oh, and before we begin, when I respond to reviews, I will start telling you guys to be more specific in your reviews, because I'm still getting small reviews of awfully few words, the ones I was complaining about a couple of chapters ago. I am **STILL** getting those kinds of reviews, and I notice it's usually from the same people. And as a reminder, the time it takes for the next chapter to come out is entirely dependent on how specific your reviews are, guys. I had only been planning to update this chapter sooner but personal issues got in the way and I nearly forgot about this chapter (and actually my entire account in general) altogether.

One last thing: **PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES TOO**. It's all pretty obvious at least some of you are not reading them, leading to a lot of rhetorical questions that could've been answered beforehand if the Author's Notes were read (and trust me, I'm getting them as much as I get the nonspecific reviews of few words). So, please, if any of you have any questions, there's a 50/50 chance that the Author's Notes already have them answered for you all. Seriously.

Alright, now that THAT'S out of the way, time to begin from where we all left off. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** A belated Happy Halloween, everyone! Hopefully everyone had a fun time! :D

**P.P.S.:** Nothing. Just trying to make this Author's Note as long as possible so then people can easily notice it more and then read it, 'cause my messages are urgent.

* * *

><p><strong>The Rhyhorn pen<br>****Near the Rhyhorn Racing Track**

Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, Foster, and the Rhyhorn designated Number 14 were all thrown backward by the tremendous explosion. Serena, Grace, Layla, Moose, Yusif, Charlotte, Joey, and Amala looked up toward that particular direction and gasped in shock, while the Rhyhorn began to panic and flee in different directions.

"ASH!" screamed Serena in concern as she watched the billowing cloud of smoke engulf her friend and crush. Then...

"PIKA!" There was no mistaking that fearful scream.

"PIKACHU!" Ash shouted, prompting Serena to run towards his direction, followed by the others.

They all watched as a robotic arm that they didn't notice earlier retract through the air, the Mouse Pokémon clutched in its rubbery grasp as it struggled with all of its might and tried without any success to destroy it with a Thunderbolt. At the same time, a number of gray, autonomous spheres suddenly appeared through the cloud of smoke and hovered directly over the herd of Rhyhorn, including Grace's own, before unfolding into iron cages that trapped amounts of Rhyhorn per device.

"RHYHORN!" Grace cried as her Rhyhorn tried slamming its head into the bars to break them, but failing to do so.

"W-What on earth is going on here?" asked Yusif, clearly confused at the unfolding situation.

"I have a feeling what..." Ash growled in annoyance as she stood up.

As if in response, a trio of familiar malicious laughs permeated through the air as a Meowth hot-air balloon came into clear view, the robotic arm dangling from under its occupied basket as it continued to hold Pikachu. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all growled; there was no way this was happening today.

"Prepare for trouble, you felt correctly!" said Jessie.

"And make it double, you're now in jeopardy!" James recited as he held a remote, apparently for the Rhyhorn cages.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And it's James!"

"Team Rocket races off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or be left with dust to bite!"

"Meowth, dat's right!" shouted Meowth triumphantly.

"WOBBUFFET!" The Patient Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball and saluted.

"TEAM ROCKET!" Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie shouted simultaneously.

"Team what?" Grace asked, looking at her daughter.

"They're bad guys who keep getting in our way and stealing other Pokémon!" explained the honey-haired Trainer. "Mom, you have to get Rhyhorn back! All of them!"

"Let go of my Pikachu, Team Rocket!" Ash shouted at the villainous trio, only to receive another cackle as a response.

"Like we're ever gonna listen to that drivel," replied James as he set down the remote. Seconds later, the robotic hand holding Pikachu transformed into a plastic cage before its tether retracted completely inside the Team Rocket balloon basket. Jessie took the cage with a triumphant glee as Pikachu continued desperately shocking it with Thunderbolts, but to no avail. "And now, we shall make off with your Pikachu and all of your Rhyhorn as our own! TEAM ROCKET SHALL TRIUMPH!"

"You'll never get away with this, Team Rocket!" screamed Bonnie as loud as she could. "YOU'RE SUCH BAD PEOPLE!"

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne chirped in agreement.

"And proud of it!" replied the entire trio as they waved at her mockingly. "CIAO!"

More robotic arms emerged from the balloon basket and grabbed the iron cages containing the Rhyhorn, lifting them up in the air. Seconds later, the balloon began to float away at a high speed, causing all of the Rhyhorn to cry out in panic. Grace, Yusif, Amala, and Foster all gasped in concern and took pursuit, followed by the rest.

"RHYHORN!" called Grace. "Hang on in there, we're all coming for you! We'll get you out of there!" She looked at her Fletchling, who had taken to the air. "Fletchling!"

"Fletchling!" the Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped, nodding as it flew off in another direction.

"PIKACHU, I'M COMING!" shouted Ash as he took the lead.

From the safety of their basket, Team Rocket watched with disinterest as the group tried to catch up to their balloon.

"Such pathetic twerps they are..." Jessie remarked as she took out another gray sphere and pressed a button on it, causing it to blink a red light and emanate a loud beeping noise that was increasing in frequency. Then, she threw the device at their pursuers; Ash noticed it and took out a Poké Ball.

"Fletchinder, use Flame Charge on that thing!" he commanded as he threw it. "Stop it!"

The Ember Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball, instantly engulfed its own body in flames, and charged towards the device. The two collided in midair, resulting in a premature explosion that knocked Fletchinder backward and a cloud of crimson smoke to billow through the air, obscuring vision of Team Rocket's balloon. Fletchinder managed to recover quickly and flew through the smoke, easily breaking it apart as it headed towards the Meowth hot-air balloon.

"Oh, no you don't!" snarled Jessie as she took out her Poké Ball and threw it. "Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"

Pumpkaboo emerged from the Poké Ball and immediately fired the attack at the Ember Pokémon.

"Dodge, Fletchinder!" ordered Ash. Fletchinder squawked as it easily maneuvered itself away from the Ghost-type attack.

"Oh, Rattata!" Jessie cried.

"Here, I'll handle this with care!" James shouted as he threw his own Poké Ball. "Inkay, take care of that Fletchinder!"

Inkay emerged and squirted large amounts of ink into Fletchinder's eyes before the latter could have enough time to react to the attack. Ash and Pikachu both gasped as he watched the Ember Pokémon fly around wildly, crying out in pain. Seeing his friend in trouble, Clemont immediately joined his side, his three Poké Balls in hand.

"I'll take care of this, Ash!" he exclaimed. "You take care of Fletchinder!"

"Yeah, thanks Clemont!" replied Ash, smiling at the aspiring inventor before the latter threw his Poké Balls, summoning Chespin, Luxio, and Bunnelby.

Spotting this newest development, Jessie and James began laughing out loud, while Meowth asked mockingly, "What are ya gonna do ta us, glasses twoip? Bore us so much wit a complex equation or some otha info till we just hand Pikachu and da Rhyhorn over? HAHAHAHAHA! Get 'em, boys! Show dat twoip who's boss!"

Pumpkaboo and Inkay charged for Chespin, Luxio, and Bunnelby. However, Clemont, expecting this coming, pointed at the two opposing Pokémon, a strategy in mind.

"Bunnelby, use Dig!" he ordered. "You know what to do! Chespin, use Pin Missile! Luxio, use Discharge!"

Bunnelby promptly dug into the ground before Pumpkaboo and Inkay could reach it. As the two were distracted, Chespin and Luxio took that time to fire their attacks, hitting Pumpkaboo and Inkay respectively and wounding both. Jessie and James gasped in shock and prepared to issue retaliatory commands, but were in for another surprise, as the ground right beneath their Pokémon exploded, showering them with particles of dust and forcing them to flinch. Bunnelby then quickly emerged from the cloud of dust, its long, furry ears coming together to form a bright golden sphere. Clemont's smile widened as he pointed confidently at Pumpkaboo and Inkay.

"Use Mud Shot, Bunnelby!" the inventor commanded.

The Digging Pokémon fired numerous blobs of mud at its opponents, knocking both of them down to the ground.

"Gah, Pumpkaboo!" Jessie shouted in despair.

"Inkay, no!" screamed James in terror.

"Yeah, that's right!" Clemont exclaimed triumphantly, enthralled that things were going in his favor. "Luxio, use Wild Charge on Pumpkaboo and Inkay!"

Luxio dashed towards Pumpkaboo and Inkay, its body becoming engulfed in yellow electricity, and seconds later, it slammed into both Pokémon. The two yelped out in pain as they were electrified and then sent backward into the Team Rocket balloon, colliding with Jessie, James, and Meowth, briefly shocking the trio both as well.

"Oh, wow..." groaned James as he got Inkay off of him. "At least it's not like being shocked by Pikachu..."

"Agreed..." replied Jessie in exhaustion.

"Come on, guys!" Meowth shouted angrily as he stood up, his paw raised. "We have ta do dis ting! We're Team Rocket, and we shall triumph for cryin' out loud!"

"Yeah, Meowth's right!" James stood up, his fist clenched. "Defeat shall no longer be an option! It's time to get rid of these twerps and make off with the Pokémon!"

"PIKA PIKA!"

The trio's bloods grew cold as they glanced apprehensively toward the edge of the basket. Perched there were Pikachu and Fletchling, both of whom looked extremely and undoubtedly angry at them. Meowth glanced to the side and saw that the plastic cage that previously contained Pikachu had been broken open. He then noticed a piece of plastic hanging from Fletchling's beak. The trio's skins became increasingly pale as soon as volts of electricity sparkled out of Pikachu's cheeks.

"Piiiiikaaaaaaa..." the Mouse Pokémon began.

"Wait, hold on!" screamed James, instinctively grabbing the remote to the Rhyhorn cages and using it as a shield. "Must it get..._personal_?..."

Pikachu took this opportunity to hop onto the remote and try to pull it out of the blue-haired man's arms, although his grip was strong.

"Better not let go!" Jessie shouted in concern.

When the Mouse Pokémon was unsuccessful in its attempts, Fletchling flew towards James and pecked him once in the forehead, causing him to yelp out in pain and release both Pikachu and the remote. As a result, Pikachu accidentally fell out of the basket, remote in hand. From below, Ash gasped in shock.

"PIKACHU!" he yelled loudly.

"GO, FEAROW!" a female voice hollered.

A Fearow suddenly appeared in the sky and safely caught Pikachu in midair. The Mouse Pokémon quickly thanked his savior before operating randomly on the remote, eventually managing to manipulate the robotic arms holding the Rhyhorn cages into extending downward towards the ground and set them down safely. With a loud caw, Fearow swooped down close to the ground, allowing Pikachu to hop off safely and land in his beloved Trainer's arms as he managed to catch up.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed in relief. "Are you okay?"

"Pika!" replied Pikachu, nodding. Then, he hopped out of Ash's arms and faced the Rhyhorn cages.

"Fennekin, we need you!" Serena called as the Fox Pokémon trotted over to her side.

In the meantime, Ash pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it. "Froakie, you too!"

Froakie emerged from its Poké Ball and croaked coolly.

"Fennekin, use Flamethrower on those cages!" ordered Serena as she pointed at the Rhyhorn cages in emphasis.

Ash also pointed at the cages. "Froakie, use Bubble!" he commanded. "Pikachu, accompany that with Thunderbolt!"

The three Pokémon nodded simultaneously and fired their attacks at one of the cages. Clemont's glasses glinted in understanding.

"Oh yeah, that's right!" he exclaimed. "Electricity separates water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis, and then recombined with fire, which results in an-"

He was suddenly cut off by a small explosion. However, it was powerful enough to leave a well-sized hole that the Rhyhorn stampeded through. Pikachu, Froakie, and Fennekin then repeated the same process with the other cages, until finally, all of the Rhyhorn were freed from their captivity. Ash and Serena cheered in triumph.

"Yeah, we did it, Ash!" the honey-haired Trainer cried happily. "I didn't even think of that!"

"It's a good thing that worked out well!" replied Ash, smiling jubilantly.

"Pika!" Pikachu added.

In their balloon, Team Rocket groaned loudly in disappointment as they watched their failure unfold.

"This ain't good..." Meowth remarked.

"Wobbuffet!" added Wobbuffet in emphasis.

"Uh...I think we have bigger problems to worry about..." James replied, trying to point off at another direction.

"_Really_?" asked Jessie sarcastically, her voice laced with a rage like none other. "What in the world could _possibly_ be a bigger problem than losing Pikachu and all the Rhyhorn, who were our keys to special promotions?! Tell me, James! Do take your time! But while you're at it, we're gonna get all the Pokémon back-"

A caw and two chirps suddenly echoed in the air. The trio looked up and saw Fletchinder, Fletchling, and Fearow approaching their balloon, readying their beaks. After experiencing hundreds of these occurrences in the past, Team Rocket could easily see what was about to come from a mile away.

"GAH!" Jessie shouted before pointing frantically at James. "MEOWTH, DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW!"

"Me?!" James pointed back at his comrade. "You're Meowth! ...Huh?"

"Déjà vu?" asked Meowth, shrugging dismissively.

Wobbuffet saluted as it shouted, "Wobbuffet!"

Split-seconds later, the three Flying-type Pokémon pierced their beaks into the balloon fabric, popping it and causing the hot-air balloon to fly around wildly.

"GAH!" screamed Jessie as Wobbuffet and Pumpkaboo hung onto her magenta hair. "Why must this always happen to us?!"

"I don't know," James replied, "but it's getting really tiresome! When will we ever gonna get our big breaks and special promotions?!"

"Well, if dere's one thing that's fa sure," Meowth groaned, "it's dat da future is pretty crystal-clear ta me. Failure after failure after failure."

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet said calmly.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" the trio recited, their cries fading as their balloon flew off towards Galope Mountain.

"Wobbuffet!" came the Patient Pokémon's distant voice.

Back at the ground, Bonnie went ahead of the group and waved at the direction to which Team Rocket had disappeared, her tongue sticking out.

"Bye bye, Team Rocket!" she called mockingly. "And good riddance to you!"

"Dede!" added Dedenne.

"Oh Rhyhorn, you're alright!" Grace cried in relief as she ran over to her Spikes Pokémon and put her face against its snout. "What a relief! I was so worried..."

"Now's not the time to be worried, Grace!" Layla shouted. "Watch out for the other Rhyhorn!"

Grace and her Rhyhorn immediately moved away as the other Rhyhorn began stampeding around in numerous directions, still panicking even after being released by Pikachu, Froakie, and Fennekin. Ash and Serena quickly moved away from their immediate vicinity, but Clemont spotted Bonnie, who was much closer to the herd.

"BONNIE!" the inventor screamed. "BONNIE, GET AWAY!"

"CLEMONT!" Bonnie screamed back as she tried to run, only to trip and fall down to the ground. Several of the Rhyhorn were stampeding towards her...

"BONNIE!"

"DEDENNE, USE THUNDERSHOCK!"

The Antenna Pokémon fired a bolt of electricity at the Rhyhorn, but as it was part-Ground-type, the Electric-type attack failed to affect any of them.

"BONNIE, NO!" Clemont screamed again.

"Fearow," the same female voice from before shouted, "use Hyper Beam, quickly!" The Fearow then swooped downward and fired a beam of energy between Bonnie and the Rhyhorn, stopping the latter in their tracks before they could trample the little girl. Then, the same voice yelled, "CAPTURE ON!"

A blur of light sped past Clemont and encircled itself around the Rhyhorn near Bonnie, forming a ring. Then, after the voice shouted "HA!" several times in an almost rhythmic succession, the ring enclosed itself upon the Rhyhorn, engulfing them in a brief flash of light. Once the light dissipated, the Rhyhorn didn't move anymore.

"Whoa, what was that?" Serena asked.

Then, the group watched as the Fearow continued to use its Hyper Beam attack to round up the remaining panicking Rhyhorn into one place. Once again, the strange light appeared, encircled itself around them, and enclosed on them after a few seconds, effectively calming them all down.

As soon as that was done, the voice cried, "Capture complete!"

"The-The Rhyhorn!" Bonnie exclaimed, completely awestruck by what she had just seen. "They've all come down, just because of that light!"

"But I wonder..." Clemont remarked as he looked up at the Fearow, who was circling around in the air with Fletchinder and Fletchling. "Where'd that Fearow-?"

"It's mine," the voice suddenly interrupted, responding to Clemont's question.

Everyone looked to their right and saw a young woman approaching them. She had orange hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a red-and-white sleeveless shirt, a small light-blue waistcoat, red shorts, light-blue goggles with red lenses, and a yellow scarf. Strapped around her right wrist was a wristwatch-like Capture Styler.

"Good to see everything's been solved," she said. Then, the woman looked up at the Fearow and waved at it. "You did great, Fearow! Thank you for all your help!"

The Fearow cawed before flying away, out of sight. As the woman deactivated her Capture Styler, Ash noticed it for the first time.

"Hey, that's a Capture Styler!" he exclaimed.

"Wait, a Capture Styler?" Clemont asked, adjusting his glasses to look at the device more efficiently. "Wait, if you have a Capture Styler, then that means..."

"You're a Pokémon Ranger?!" Ash, Serena, and Clemont cried at once.

"Yep, that's right," the Ranger replied, smiling. Then, she gave the group a proud salute. "Pokémon Ranger Summer, at your assistance!"

* * *

><p><strong>Several minutes later<strong>

"Ah, good thing the Rhyhorn are all okay!" exclaimed Amala, relieved after inspecting all of the Spikes Pokémon. "The race might've been held off if they were hurt."

"Yeah, but they're not," Yusif replied, "if it weren't for Ash, Serena, and Clemont's quick actions. Thanks, you three. You saved the racing track from a nasty scenario."

"Ah, it was nothing," Ash said, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Team Rocket's always up to no good; we've beaten them many times before."

Yusif nodded, then looked at Summer, who was petting one of the Rhyhorn. "You too, Ranger Summer. You have no idea how relieved I am-"

"Oh, it's nothing, sir," Summer interrupted, smiling kindly. "Just happy to help out someone in need."

"Glad to hear you're here to help!" Ash said. "My name's-"

"Oh, no need to introduce yourselves. I've already done research on everyone living in this town, just in case it'd come in handy. I especially know about you, Ash."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-Yo-You _do_?"

"Pika?" added Pikachu, equally surprised by this apparent revelation.

Summer nodded, still smiling. "I believe you've already met a friend of mine, helped him out in a sticky situation. His name's Ben."

"Ben... _Ben_..." Then, Ash remembered the Pokémon Ranger he met in Sinnoh. "Oh yeah, I remember him now! He was trying to capture the rare Heatran, right?"

"Yes, he was on that mission at the time. Man, he would NOT stop talking about the group of Trainers who helped him on that mission, including the one who had that Pikachu perched on his shoulder." Summer then smirked at Ash. "I probably should slap you in the face. If his optimism wasn't cutely annoying enough before, then it is now." When Ash blinked in surprise, the Ranger laughed and playfully nudged him in the shoulder. "Nah, just messin' with ya."

"So, uh Summer," said Clemont, beseeching the Pokémon Ranger, "what're you doing here in Galope Town?"

"Huh?" A serious expression then suddenly flooded Summer's face, which caught the group's interest. "There's been some strange occurrences going on in the area."

"Strange occurrences?" Yusif repeated. "No one in the town has seen anything out of the ordinary. I don't understand..."

"Well, a scientific facility that's located near Coumarine City has detected some pretty extraordinary anomalies, of which I am pretty sure you have been experiencing. Abnormal heat-waves, electronic devices being fried out-" Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at those descriptions. "-and, more recently, an unknown heat signature detected near Galope Mountain. It's much higher than the heat-waves, but it all seems to be restricted to one object, of which we cannot identify. I just arrived here a couple of hours ago to investigate the heat signature, since the facility believes it may be the cause of the heat-waves and electronics going haywire."

"An unknown heat signature..." Ash repeated. "That's weird..."

"Think it could be a Pokémon?" asked Bonnie curiously. "Like a Fire-type?"

Summer thought about it for a moment, then replied, "The only Pokémon I can think of that can cause heat-waves of such magnitude is Groudon. But it is not native over here in Kalos, and besides, even if Groudon was behind this, how would it account for the electronics? I read on the reports made after inspection of the devices, and they all conclude that they were shorted out by something similar to an EMP. And EMPs definitely are not caused by heat-waves."

"Uh...what's an EMP?" Ash asked, looking completely dumbfounded by such an unfamiliar term.

"An acronym," explained Clemont, his glasses glinting as he gleefully expressed his knowledge of technology. "It's short for electromagnetic pulse. They're caused by solar flares, lightning strikes that happen close by, or massive short-circuits in power-lines. It would explain the disabling of the electronic devices in the area."

"Only there were no thunderstorms in the past couple of months," Yusif said. "And all of the power-lines we use are still in good condition, no short-circuits recently."

"And the facility didn't detect any solar flares reaching this area," added Summer. "Which leaves one last thing to consider..."

"What would that be?" Serena asked.

Before Summer could respond, however, something started to crackle. She looked around at her waist, searching for something.

"Oh, that must be the walkie-talkie I got. The facility must be trying to contact me..." She finally retrieved the device and pressed a button. "Hello, Dr. Brandt? Is that you?" However, all she received was static. "Hm, that's weird, the facility's reception is good. The caller must be someone else."

"Whoever it is," said Foster, "he or she might be in an area where the reception's bad. Probably out of town. It's really bad there."

Before Summer can respond, a voice suddenly emerged from the walkie-talkie. "...Name's Lane. ...On my way to Galo-...Town ...Saw this girl. ...Seems hurt, and..."

There was a brief pause. Everyone looked at each other, concerned; it sounded like a pretty tense situation.

"That doesn't sound good..." Bonnie commented.

Then, the voice continued, "If anyone...hear me...Officer Jenny... ..Approximately five minutes...near...eastern trail!"

"Eastern trail..." noted Yusif. "That's Route 12!"

"The trail we were taking?" Serena asked. "That's odd. We didn't see anyone in trouble while on our way to Galope Town, did we?"

"Nope, we didn't," Ash replied.

"Regardless, we must help these people," Summer said. Then, she looked at Yusif. "I know you don't have a local Officer Jenny, so contact the nearest one for help."

"Gotcha, Ranger Summer," the groundskeeper replied before running off, followed by Charlotte, Joey, and Amala.

In the meantime, Summer was about to speak into the walkie-talkie when the voice continued again.

"...Also...girl asks...her mother be with... Name's Serena Ketchum... Did anyone...?"

"S-S-Serena K-_Ketchum_?" stuttered Serena, surprised to hear such a name.

"That's weird," Ash replied, oblivious to the meaning of Serena's reaction. "You and I aren't related, Serena. Must be the static."

"I-I guess..." However, Serena felt a twinge of disappointment within her, regardless. In that brief moment, it sounded as if she were the mother of her child with Ash.

"What's your full name, Serena?" asked Summer, looking at the Trainer.

"Serena Yates."

"Okay." Then, the Pokémon Ranger spoke into the walkie-talkie. "This is Pokémon Ranger Summer. Do you hear me, Lane?"

After a few seconds, the voice of Lane replied, "Yes...can hear you!"

"I've received your urgent message. Don't worry, Lane, I'm on my way. I don't have a Serena Ketchum, but I do have Serena Yates and her friends right now. Officer Jenny shouldn't be far behind us. I just want you to remain at your position with the girl, and we should be there in a few minutes. Don't make any attempt to move."

After several seconds, Lane replied, "Alright, thank you!"

Summer deactivated her walkie-talkie and then looked at Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Okay, come on, Ash, Serena."

"Wait, we're coming?" asked Serena.

"Why?" Ash asked.

"Well," the Ranger replied, "it can't be a coincidence that this Lane person asked for you two."

"But we don't know any girl, or anyone named Lane!"

"Pika!"

"Regardless, I'm bringing you along, just in case." She then noticed the apprehensive expressions on both Trainers' faces. "Don't worry, if anything happens, I will be there to protect you guys, as a Pokémon Ranger." She put a clenched fist over her chest determinedly. "That you two can count on!"

"I'm coming too!" Everyone looked at Clemont, who was holding his ground boldly, although he obviously appeared to be nervous. "There is NO way I am letting Ash and Serena have all the experience while I stay behind! After all, friends stick together to the end, right? If so, then I'm coming too!"

"Me too!" Bonnie added, standing beside her brother. "We'll all help each other out if something happens!"

"Dedenne!"

Grace stepped forward as well. "Oh, I am not gonna miss out on this." She then glared at Serena with a strange look. "Especially if my daughter's involved."

Summer looked back at Clemont, Bonnie, and Grace. Knowing that she couldn't convince the siblings or the former jockey, the Pokémon Ranger merely sighed.

"Alright. You three can come too."

* * *

><p><strong>Route 12<br>Several minutes later**

Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Grace all held on tight to the railings as Summer sped the olive-green jeep borrowed from the racing track down the rough trail of Route 12. They could feel themselves bouncing and trembling, but all were able to stabilize themselves as Summer continued driving at high speeds.

Eventually, Serena became intrigued by the new situation and looked at Ash. "Hey, Ash?" she asked.

The raven-haired Trainer looked back at her curiously. "Yeah, Serena?"

"Why do you think this girl asked for us?"

Ash shrugged. "Not sure." Then, he flashed an optimistic smile. "But hey, it'd be quite an adventure on its own, finding out the answer behind this little mystery, eh?"

The honey-haired Trainer smiled back in response, but said nothing further. Seconds later, she flt the familiar piercing stare of her mother, who conveniently sat at her side as she was engaged in conversation with her friend. Huffing in embarrassment, Serena could only look away from Grace's direction as the jeep continued forward down Route 12, the many trees passing by them in blurs of light-green and brown. Fortunately, her attention was diverted when she caught something in the sky.

A beam of flames shooting upward into the air in a smooth, single direction...

"Summer!" Serena exclaimed.

"Yeah, I see it too," replied the Ranger, looking at the same direction. "Looks like a Flamethrower. Lane must be signaling us to his exact location."

"But isn't that in the middle of all these woods?" asked Clemont nervously, pointing off into the trees.

"Yep. It's a good thing this jeep's designed for off-road terrain!"

"Off-road te- AGH!"

At that moment, Summer drove off the trail and through the thick bushes. The passengers all shielded themselves as leaves and twigs flew about, hitting their faces. Fortunately, it didn't take long; the jeep burst through another set of bushes and into a small clearing, where Serena briefly spotted a Cyndaquil firing a Flamethrower into the sky. When the jeep skidded to a stop, she also saw a young man wearing a ridiculously large yellow backpack and a little girl wearing a pink dress nearby.

"MOMMY!" a young female voice cried. "OH MOMMY, I WAS SO SCARED! I THOUGHT I WAS-!"

Everyone dismounted the vehicle, after which Serena identified the owner of the voice: the little girl, who had just stood up. Upon seeing her full form, Serena's lower jaw dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe what she was exactly seeing. The honey-haired Trainer didn't know if this was a trick of the eye or some weird dream that she was having... But one thing was for sure: there was no way this seven-year-old girl that was before her looked _exactly_ like her.

"M-_Mommy_?" the little girl asked in equal shock.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** HA HA! ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! Well, just because I said the meeting between Ash, Serena, and Sarah would happen in this chapter, it didn't mean the whole meeting would be depicted in full detail. Yes, I know, I'm being quite evil, aren't I? MWAHAHAHAHA! On the bright side, there's no more avoiding anything in the next chapter now. On another note, I've also introduced Pokémon Ranger Summer from Guardian Signs in my story! Just thought I'd include her because I like her design.

Anyway, I feel much prouder of this chapter compared to the last one. However, I still feel the pacing's a little fast. ...Eh, whatever. At least the meeting's over with.

I'd like to thank the following who so graciously reviewed:

**I have a (guest reviewer):** You should've read the Author's Notes in the last chapter. It was all there.

**chablaven:** I'm glad to hear you liked how I portrayed the dynamic between Serena, Clemont, and their (single) parents. I had that scenario written out in my head since day one of this story's production. :D

**Guest reviewer #1:** Thrilled to hear that you thought the last chapter was just fine, just like you said, especially the family dynamic with Serena, Grace, and Layla. I know there weren't enough Ash/Serena moments, obviously, but future chapters will obviously rectify that. And trust me, their reactions will be priceless. Hopefully to me, at least. As for your question, I want to leave it to interpretation, but in my personal opinion, I imagine young Ash, Serena, and Clemont to be 17, while young Bonnie is seven, same age as Sarah. If you want to base your interpretation on mine, feel free to do so. I won't argue with your logic. :D

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** Please be more specific in your review.

**Avatar Rikki:** Sorry you feel that way. But don't worry; that opinion should change eventually as the story goes along. As for your question, I did change it up for the story, but I do kinda imagine Grace being somewhat disapproving of Pokémon Showcases in the anime. I mean, we haven't seen her in a while, so maybe.

**SLIronLegion1012:** Good to hear that you're impressed by the story's quality! And while I do not like to say one story of mine is better than another that I wrote, I do hope you enjoy this story as it goes along even more, because it sounds like you're very psyched for what's coming next! :D

**MizarW:** Don't fret about the lack of action. The meeting will officially unfold in the next chapter, while the action will definitely happen in another couple of chapters. Serena and Jenna's words being mirrored almost word-for-word, all of that was intentional for the plot's sake. You'll find out what "If only you knew..." meant for both Grace and future Serena as the story progresses. ;)

**WiiFan2009:** Oh, the parenting styles that'll ensue will be interesting and occasionally hilarious, I promise you that! :D

**ShugoYuuki123:** Please be more specific in your review.

**Plasma57:** Please be more specific in your review.

**Guest reviewer #2:** Glad to hear you like Team Rocket! They're very easy characters to write, what with their hilarity (although I feel that wasn't my best work with them in this chapter).

**Aipom4:** Please be more specific in your reviews.

Well, hope you enjoyed this dastardly late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	7. The Strange Girl

**A/N:** Hope you had a happy AmourShipping Day to everyone! (For those uninformed, I say this since today is apparently the first anniversary of the airing of XY007, which is why AmourShippers are celebrating it. At least, that's what I heard.) Hope you enjoy this long-awaited update!

...

I honestly feel bad for paying more attention to this story and not my others. I probably should get onto them after I update this...

Ah, I'm venting a little. Enough of that. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** I hope everyone's enjoying their purchases of the new Hoenn remakes! It's too bad I don't have a Nintendo 3DS... :'(

**P.P.S.:** Hopefully everyone learned the news about Ash and Serena's UPCOMING FIRST DATE! :D Or at least alleged...

* * *

><p><strong>Route 12<br>Near Galope Town**

"M-_Mommy_?" the little girl asked in shock.

"M-M-_Mommy_?" repeated Serena in a stutter. She honestly couldn't believe what she was seeing. A little girl who looked _exactly_ like her, calling her 'Mommy'? At the corner of her eye, she noticed her mother, her friends, Ranger Summer, and even that backpacker become rigid, all shocked by this apparent revelation too._  
><em>

However, before anyone could speak up about the matter, the young girl suddenly started swaying in her step, her eyelids fluttering as a soft moan escaped her lips. Several seconds later, she suddenly lost her footing and fell over headfirst towards the ground. Serena gasped in concern and stepped forward, being able to quickly catch the odd girl in her arms in time before she could hit her head on the ground or something else rather dangerous.

As soon as she did, the Trainer looked into the girl's face, registering it in full detail; indeed, this girl did look like her...

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed the backpacker named Lane as he ran up to the pair. "Is-Is she alright?!"

"It looks like she's fainted," replied Summer as she also approached them. "We've gotta get her to a Pokémon Center, though. It looks like she's been through a lot."

"Yeah, that's right." Lane hesitated briefly, then continued. "Um...I didn't mention this earlier, but she has a, uh...a _Celebi_ with her..."

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

"A-A _Celebi_?" Ash asked, remembering all of his encounters with the Time Travel Pokémon. "It's with _her_?" He looked at the unconscious little girl in Serena's arms.

"Believe it or not, yes. It's over there."

He pointed off in the direction of a nearby large rock, where the others spotted a Poliwag, likely Lane's, standing beside what appeared to be a larger clump of grass. But when Summer approached this clump in curiosity, her eyes widened again. Indeed, lying beside the Tadpole Pokémon was the form of an unconscious Celebi.

"Well, what do you know?..." she remarked.

"A Celebi, huh?..." said Serena as she took out her Pokédex, with some difficulty due to the girl being in her arms. She activated the device and scanned Celebi.

_**"Celebi, the Time Travel**** Pokémon,"**_ explained the device. _**"As its name suggests, it has the ability to travel across time. Plant life flourishes in the very forests in which it has appeared."**_

"The Time Travel Pokémon..." the Trainer repeated.

Then, she looked down at the little girl in her arms. If Celebi was with this girl, and she looked a lot like her, and she even called her 'Mommy', then...then...

"Serena, are you okay?"

The honey-haired girl shook her head and looked up at Clemont, who was standing beside her. She flashed a brief, innocent smile at the aspiring inventor.

"Oh yeah, I'm okay," she replied. Then, she looked back down at the girl. "We have to get both her and Celebi to the Pokémon Center. Who knows what happened to them?" She stood up, forgetting that the girl still in her arms; surprisingly enough, she was light enough for her to carry with ease. "Oh, she's not that heavy..."

"I'll take Celebi," Summer said as she picked up the Time Travel Pokémon. "Come on, let's go." She glanced at Lane. "Thank you, for your help. Wanna come along?"

Lane nodded. "I was heading over to Galope Town anyway. Besides-" He looked at the unconscious girl with pity. "-I can't afford to be left hanging on her condition."

The Ranger nodded. "Alright." She looked at the rest of the group. "Let's move back to town. Yusif's probably waiting with Officer Jenny."

The entire group instantly boarded the jeep again, and Summer raced it off back towards the main trail of Route 12. As the vehicle drove back towards Galope Town, Serena once again looked back down at the girl, who now seemed content in her arms. If what her Pokédex described about Celebi was true, and the things that the girl was saying about her were true, then there was a chance that she was holding her future daughter in her arms...

But...if that was actually true...then who was the father?...

She looked at Ash and Clemont, her most likely candidates. Both boys looked extremely shocked by the events that had just transpired, naturally.

Clemont was definitely by a long shot, but then again, she couldn't tell the future. Who knows? Maybe she would've somehow gotten over her crush on Ash and went with the inventor instead. However, she currently could not see any qualities in him that she liked and expected for a future husband. She could only imagine the two of them as friends and nothing more. The only advantage to such a relationship was having Bonnie as a potential sister-in-law; she loved that little girl to death.

Ash... There were just no words that would properly describe their chances together... That is, if he actually recognized her feelings for him and reciprocated them...

Out of curiosity, she then looked back at Grace, wondering what her mother's reaction to this extremely odd occurrence was. However, unlike Ash and Clemont (and just about everyone else in their group), she did not look shocked or surprised at all. Instead, she was gazing at the little girl with concern that seemed to border on motherly... Noticing that expression, Serena now couldn't help but wonder what being a mother would be like, considering the current situation...

Just like Grace, the honey-haired Trainer looked down at the little girl who claimed she was her mother, her expression softening and her blue eyes shimmering.

_"There's something very weird going on..."_ she thought. _"I don't know if I should be concerned about this or..._thrilled_ by it... Only time will tell about that..."_

* * *

><p><strong>The Pokémon Center<br>****Galope Town**

"Why, hello there," greeted Nurse Joy, smiling and beaming as usual as the entire group sprinted into the local Pokémon Center through the automatic sliding doors. "How may we help y-" She then spotted the unconscious little girl in Serena's arms. "Oh, my! What happened to this poor girl?"

"She's fainted," replied Serena.

"So does this Celebi," Summer added, showing the Time Travel Pokémon's unconscious form to the nurse.

"Oh my, indeed," Joy replied as she examined both the girl and Celebi. "No sign of external injuries, but they do look like they've been through a lot. I'll have both of them checked immediately. I must warn you guys, results might not come back for a while. Our devices just got back up to speed following the heat-wave, so-"

"It's okay," interrupted Summer. "Take as long as you need to, Nurse Joy."

The nurse nodded as she and her Wigglytuff took Serena and Celebi, respectively, into the emergency room, leaving behind the rest of the group as Serena watched on in concern. Seconds after the two left, the electronic doors opened, and Yusif, Charlotte, Joey, and Officer Jenny ran inside the building.

"We saw your jeep and it looked like someone was hurt!" the police officer exclaimed. She then noticed Summer. "Oh, a Pokémon Ranger?"

"Yes," replied Summer, nodding. "Ranger Summer, at your service."

"What happened?!"

"This man here found a girl in the forest and reported it to us, Officer Jenny." Summer pointed at Lane for identification. "And...you may not believe it, but-"

"I also found a Celebi too," Lane completed without any reluctance. "It was with the girl, unconscious."

"Both of them are unconscious right now. They're being checked on by Nurse Joy as we speak."

Jenny's eyes widened in shock. "A _Celebi_? _Here_? Of all places?"

"Yeah. If only I could explain it any further, Officer..."

"A Celebi," said Yusif, placing a finger on his chin. "Celebi always appear in forests, but Galope never had any records of one appearing in the one surrounding us..."

"Think that Celebi could be behind the heat-wave and the electronic malfunctions, Dad?" asked Joey, looking up at his father.

"A Celebi causing a heat-wave and electronic malfunctions?" Summer asked. "It definitely isn't capable of doing that, not even when injured or in the direst of times. No, something other than Celebi is responsible." Like Yusif, however, she placed a finger on her chin. "But that doesn't mean Celebi isn't involved in all of this..."

"Are you saying Celebi might know what was happening here?" asked Ash.

"Pika?" Pikachu added, surprised.

"Or perhaps that little girl..." The Ranger glanced at the rest of the group, but Serena noticed her gaze was particularly trained on her. "After all, she was found with that Celebi. Whatever happened that involved Celebi, she must have witnessed it, most likely as an innocent bystander. Once either of them regain consciousness, I will ask them what exactly had happened." She glanced out of the window, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Something is obviously going on here..."

"But what, exactly?" Clemont asked, a bit worried.

"Who knows?" The Ranger's eyes narrowed even more, and her voice was a bit ominous as she was deep in thought. "And who knows how big this thing could be?"

"Do you reckon I should alert the stations at Shalour City and Coumarine City to be on the alert for any suspicious activity on their ends of Route 12?" asked Jenny.

Summer looked at the police officer and nodded in response. "Yes, please do. I also have my employers at watch. They'll alert us if there's any problems too."

Jenny nodded back at the Pokémon Ranger as she left to contact her colleagues.

In the meantime, Serena glanced at the emergency room. Now that this young girl was in the forefront of her mind, she couldn't help but be concerned for her...

_"What am I feeling?"_ she thought. _"What exactly _is _this? I can't possibly be worried about a little girl I met minutes ago. ...Then...what? What _is _it?..."_

Fortunately for her, she wasn't the only one looking at the emergency room doors. Bonnie was doing the same, and she too looked concerned.

"Serena?" she asked.

The Trainer looked at the younger girl and aspiring Trainer. "Yes, Bonnie?"

"Will Celebi be okay?"

Serena flashed a small but optimistic smile. It figured that Bonnie had to ask about the well-being of an injured Pokémon. Just like Ash...

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it's okay. Other than it being out like a light, it seemed pretty fine to me."

"What about _her_?"

The honey-haired girl blinked twice, comprehending this newest question, before replying, "I'm pretty sure she'll be okay too. No doubt about it."

"Do you know why she looks just like you? Or why she called you Mommy? You told us you never had any brothers or sisters, and you're too young to be a mommy."

"What?!" Charlotte suddenly exclaimed, startling both girls. "That girl looked like _you_, Serena?! And she called you _Mommy_?!"

"Yeah. It was...pretty weird..."

"Oh, oh, oh! You should do a DNA test with that girl!"

The fledgling Pokémon Performer blinked. "W-What?"

"You know, that thing they do to prove if someone is someone else's child-"

"I know what a DNA test is, Charlotte. I just...I never thought about it...nor have I ever believed I'd do such a thing..."

"Well then, are you positively, one-hundred percent _sure_ that girl's not your daughter?"

Serena didn't respond; instead, she began thinking about the situation that was at hand. She recognized two possible scenarios. The first scenario was that a young girl who coincidentally looked identical to her was separated from her elders, encountered Celebi, had an incident with it, somehow got knocked in the head, and was rendered confused and disoriented, hence why she called her 'Mommy' in the first place. That scenario did indeed make a whole lot of sense...

The second scenario was that Celebi did indeed come from another point of time in the future, and somehow brought with it that girl, who was indeed her... That one was less plausible, and yet...it felt much more _natural_ to Serena, like that was meant to be her destiny or something... She was definitely thinking too much about it.

Charlotte, interpreting Serena's lack of response as the answer she wanted, replied, "Then take that DNA test."

Serena merely sighed and looked back at the doors. She could see Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff moving back and forth as they continued their examinations.

"Are...Are you okay, Serena?" asked Bonnie.

"I wish I knew, Bonnie," Serena replied distantly. "Oh, how I wish I knew..."

* * *

><p><strong>Vaniville Kindergarten<br>Vaniville City  
>The Kalos region<br>Eighteen years in the future**

Sarah sat silently in the small green seat, her head hanging down in shame, her honey-colored locks of hair dangling loosely. Her teacher was at her desk, typing on her laptop. With an awkward silence hanging over the classroom, the seven-year-old girl began to ponder about her situation.

Just a couple of hours earlier, she had gotten in trouble with the teacher for being part of a fight taking place in the schoolyard. Danny and his cronies were bullying her again, and she was trying to defend herself, just like Alex had taught her. Then, Caleb, perhaps her only friend at Trainers' School, came to her side and took the lead in the fight, like he always did. But unfortunately for them, Danny hit his head in a fall and had to see the nurse, and his cronies told on the teacher in seconds.

Now, she was sitting on the infamous timeout seat, waiting for the school day to end and her Auntie Bonnie to come and pick her up. She looked to her left and saw Caleb sitting in another timeout seat, looking just as worried. She remembered him trying to take all of the blame and felt guilty for it. All of this could've easily been avoided, had she listened to her parents' advice about ignoring bullies. She had simply let her anger get the better of her.

The little girl heard the door open, and she looked towards the doorway, expecting to see Bonnie and Dedenne.

Her eyes widened the moment she recognized the honey-colored locks of hair.

"Mommy?" she asked, feeling her heart drop to her stomach. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her loving mother right after the incident.

"Oh, hello Serena," the teacher greeted in surprise, having noticed the woman's presence. "I thought you were out shooting a movie."

"The shooting ended ahead of schedule, Mrs. Wells," replied Serena. "Bonnie told me Sarah got into a _fight_?"

Sarah felt herself shrinking in her seat upon hearing her mother's surprised tone. She exhaled sadly.

"Yeah," Mrs. Wells said. "They said Danny and his friends started it, but Danny was the one who got hurt."

Serena looked at her daughter with an expression of disbelief. Sarah tried her best to hold back tears of sorrow.

"To be honest," continued Mrs. Wells, "I'm very disappointed with Sarah. I thought she'd know better than to do this."

"Yes, so do I," replied Serena. "So do I." Don't worry, Stella, I'll take care of things from here." The teacher nodded, allowing Serena to walk towards Sarah and grab her hand; Sarah noticed that her mother's grip was soft and gentle as usual, not tight. "Come on, Sarah, let's go home."

Sarah only nodded meekly and followed her mother out of the classroom. Right before exiting, she looked back at Caleb, still seated, and waved goodbye to him. He waved back, just as the two females stepped out into the hallway, left the kindergarten building, and approached the family car.

"Sarah..."

Sarah looked up at her mother worriedly. "Y-Yeah, Mommy?..."

"...We'll talk about it inside the car."

Her skin paled. Whenever her mother, or her father, wanted to talk to her about something in the family car, it was always a serious matter at hand. However, Sarah could do nothing but nod in agreement and get inside the passenger seat. Once Serena got herself in the driver's seat, it was silent for a brief moment.

Finally, Serena said, "I was hoping I'd surprise you by coming to pick you up instead of your Auntie Bonnie. Turns out I was the one surprised..."

"I-I'm sorry, Mommy-" began Sarah.

"I know you are, Sarah. You're a nice girl. I know you're not like this. But...I don't know if Danny thinks the same way..."

"Of course he doesn't, Mommy! He's a meanie who doesn't like me for no reason!"

"Still, does that mean you should hurt him?"

"I didn't push him; Caleb did!"

"And do you think he deserved that?"

"He's been making fun of me since forever!" She crossed her arms and looked away angrily. "If that bump in the head shuts him up, then good for him!"

"Sarah Julia Ketchum!" exclaimed Serena, causing Sarah to flinch upon hearing her full name. "What have I told you about using that kind of language?!"

"That it's bad for the tongue... I'm sorry, Mommy..."

Serena sighed heavily and then placed a hand over her daughter's head, stroking her hair.

"Sarah, just because he's been making fun of you doesn't mean he deserves to be hurt. I know he's been mean to you, but what have I told you about bullies?"

"To always ignore them and tell the teacher." However, tears were forming at the corners of the girl's eyes. "But that does not stop him, Mommy! Every time I tell on him, he knows how to lie better!" The tears were now dripping down her cheeks. "He's always being mean to me and he won't stop, no matter what I do! Mrs. Wells doesn't do anything anymore other than telling me I need to stop lying!" Sarah then began to sob. "I hate going to Trainers' School, Mommy! I hate it!"

Serena's eyes softened. She already knew from Bonnie that Sarah was having problems at kindergarten and was not emotionally adjusting to its environment, but to actually witness her daughter painfully crying her emotions out, thus hammering the final nail right into the coffin, was just another thing entirely. It broke her heart to watch her usually bright and cheery, if not a little shy daughter crying much harder than she would whenever she had a bad scrape or fall. It really did.

"Oh, Sarah," she said in response, "I'm sorry to hear you don't like Trainers' School. But I thought you wanted to learn a lot about Pokémon?"

"Well, I've changed my mind! I don't wanna learn about them anymore!"

"Then how are you gonna become a Pokémon Trainer, sweetie?"

"I won't! I'll just stay at home forever and ever!"

Serena promptly began to wipe the tears from her daughter's cheeks. "You can't stay at home forever and ever, honey. Even if I let you, there will come a time when you have to get out of the home once in a while." Sarah turned her head away from her, causing her to sigh sadly. "Sarah, please look at me. Please?"

Sniffling, the girl looked up at her mother.

"Honey, I know things are tough. Believe me, when I was younger, I went through the exact same thing as you did."

Another sniffle. "Really?"

"Yes. Even today, I still go through many difficulties in time. But I managed to overcome all of the obstacles in my way with the power of courage and determination and, most of all, love. And whenever things would look hopeless and dull, I always remember your daddy, Uncle Clemont, Aunt Bonnie, Grandma Grace and Grandpa Meyer, Aunt Shauna, and most of all, you and your brothers and sister. I always tell myself that you are all beside me, every single step of the way, encouraging me. 'Never give up till the end'. Those six words were spoken by Daddy. That thought and those words, they both helped me get through the toughest of times. And they still do. And now, Sarah-" She began stroking Sarah's hair again. "-I want you to know about them. I want _you_ to do the same thing."

Sarah looked up at her mother in awe. She always saw her as the toughest woman in existence, someone who never had any problems in life. She was her greatest role model. And now, she was hearing that her mother wasn't as unbreakable as she always thought she'd be. But hearing her sagely words of advice fueled her with a brand-new ray of hope, as well as a newfound bond with her mother. And as she sat in the passenger seat of the family car, with Serena sitting opposite to her, the bright, golden sunlight illuminating her honey hair and giving her an angelic appearance, Sarah knew that she would always remember this day for years to come.

"Sarah," continued Serena, "whenever things look hopeless and dull for you, I want you to remember me and everyone else you love. And most of all, remember the words I just told you. Never give up till the end." She smiled happily, enhancing her angelic appearance to Sarah. "Can you do that for me, sweetie?"

The seven-year-old nodded determinedly, all traces of sadness long gone. "I will, Mommy. I promise you I will."

Serena held out her pinkie. "Do you swear on your pinkie?"

Sarah giggled and locked her pinkie with her mother's. "Yes, pinkie-swear."

"That's my girl."

* * *

><p><strong>The Pokémon Center<br>****Galope Town  
>Present day<strong>

Sarah's eyelids flew open the moment her brain registered the faint chirp of a Flying-type Pokémon in the distance. She found herself lying in the middle of a strange room. The girl slowly sat up, noticing that she was lying on a soft, comfortable bed. Looking around, she spotted a pair of chairs and a wooden table, but both chairs were unoccupied, while the table held nothing more than a glass vase holding a clump of fake white flowers. She could hear voices outside of the doorway...

Some of them sounded vaguely familiar...

Then, the door opened, causing the seven-year-old to squeak fearfully. She expected a strange doctor to come in, and after all, she didn't have her mother with her.

Instead, it was Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Grace... Or younger versions of them, at the very least.

Nevertheless, she squealed happily, "MOMMY! DADDY! UNCLE CLEMONT AND AUNTIE BONNIE! GRANDMA!"

"Hold on, who are you calling Mom and Dad?" asked Ash, oblivious to the entire situation. "And who's Grandma?"

Sarah blinked, remembering where she was and why she was here. She didn't know how to explain this to the younger versions of the people she loved the most. In fact, what happened if she actually _did_? After all, courtesy of Alex, she saw sci-fi movies involving time-travel, where futures were erased or altered after characters went to the past and fooled around. She didn't know want to mess up her life in any way possible, let alone erase it from existence...

Then, Serena spoke, catching all of Sarah's attention.

"Who are you? Why are you here? How come you had that Celebi with you?"

Sarah couldn't speak at all. She didn't know exactly how to answer those questions without messing up the future...

Finally, Serena asked, "And...why did you call me Mommy back there?..."

The seven-year-old girl's skin became ghostly pale. She knew there was no possible way to lie herself out of this situation. After all, they're already curious, and she wasn't really much of a good liar. She only hoped that whatever she told them didn't have any adverse effect on the future somehow.

"Well," she began, "my name is Sarah Julia Ketchum. I am seven years old, and I'm your daughter." The girl pointed at both Serena and Ash.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yep, a cliffhanger yet again. MWHAHAHA!

Well, really nothing to say about this. I was proud of this chapter, especially the flashback, though I really just wanted to get this chapter over with since I needed to get to my other stories. Production for "Judgment's Fall" has stalled especially and I just got a new batch of ideas, so I have to attend to those ASAP.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):

**Aipom4**

**masterofthez**

**Guest reviewer**

**WiiFan2009**

**King nintendo (guest reviewer)**

**MizarW**

**FightingSpirit321**

**Plasma57**

**Tertullian**

**thegirlwholived (guest reviewer)**

**guywithglasses**

**Leader of the Bronies**

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	8. Interesting Developments

**The Pokémon Center  
>Galope Town<strong>

"You're our-" began a confused Ash.

"-_Daughter_?" completed Serena, who was completely shocked by the sudden revelation.

Sarah nodded reluctantly. "Yes. You two are my mommy and daddy..." She then chuckled nervously as her cheeks turned slightly pink. "Hi, I guess?..."

"That's not right!" exclaimed Bonnie suddenly. The yellow-haired girl walked up to Sarah's bedside and looked back and forth between her and the pair of Serena and Ash, Dedenne mimicking its unofficial Trainer's movements as she did so. "Ash and Serena are way, _way_ too young to be your mommy and daddy!" She then leaned in close to Sarah's face to examine her closely, as if she were a professional doctor. "Are you alright? You probably hit your head on something-"

"BONNIE!" Clemont shouted sternly as he ran up to his younger sister and pulled her back slightly. "Don't be rude and leaning in towards others like that!"

"But she's saying something pretty ridiculous-"

"It's not ridiculous, Auntie Bonnie," interrupted Sarah, who was now looking at her. "I am their daughter." She pointed at Serena and Ash.

"Can you prove it?"

Everyone looked at Grace's direction. She was looking at Sarah with an unknown emotion, with her arms crossed.

"Well..." Sarah looked down at her hands nervously. "I...I don't know how to show I'm not lying... But I know you're my mommy and daddy..._Mommy and Daddy_..." Then, she instantly remembered something. "Oh yeah, Celebi! Celebi took me here from the future! I come from the future, everyone! I'm not lying, believe me!"

"We know you had a Celebi with you when we found you. But that could mean a lot of things. Do you know what happened before we found you?"

"Okay." Sarah cleared her throat and began her explanation. "I went with you-" She pointed at Serena, causing her to blink in shock. "-to see Jenna at her Rhyhorn Race and cheer her on. But then, you kept yelling at each other like you always did and it made me really sad, so I ran away. But I got lost in the big building, and I saw this big, mean-looking guy holding a cage with a very big Zigzagoon in it! But it wasn't a Zigzagoon at all! It was Celebi in disguise! And-And Celebi spotted me and got out of its cage and went to me, and the bad guy came after me with his Pokémon. Jenna and Alex and his friends tried to help me, but there was this huge, _huge_ battle and Celebi used its powers to take me to the past, probably to keep me safe! And then I met Lane and then you guys, and now, I'm here!"

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then, Serena replied, "Can you repeat that again? This time, a bit slower?..."

However, Grace said, "No, hold on. Kids, let's go outside the room for a bit. We need to talk-"

Sarah's eyes widened upon hearing Grace's comment. "No, please don't leave me in here!"

"It's okay, Sarah. We're just gonna be outside the door. Kids, come on."

The group left the room, one by one. As they did, they could easily hear Sarah whimper in fear and shift uncomfortably on the bed. Overhearing it, Serena could not help but feel very bad for the young girl. As soon as everyone left the room and Grace closed the door behind her, Ash looked at the mother.

"What's going on, Grace?" he asked.

"Have any of you met this girl before?" replied Grace, her eyebrow raised.

"Definitely not. Can't even imagine why she'd call me her dad..."

"No, not before today, no," Clemont said.

"Nope," added Bonnie.

However, Serena remained silent as she thought about the words of the young girl who introduced herself as Sarah Ketchum. The way she spoke to them, it sounded like she had known them all for her entire life. ...She sounded so _truthful_. Remembering her Pokédex entry of Celebi, she knew that Sarah's story had to make sense if the strange girl was so adamant in labeling her and Ash as her own parents, let alone resemble her in so many ways.

"Serena?" Grace asked, catching her daughter's attention.

"Huh?"

"Have you met this girl before?"

"No...but I think I believe her story." She then frowned at her mother. "And you don't?"

Grace exhaled and looked at the door leading into the room. "There are a lot of scenarios, more _reasonable_ scenarios, that could perfectly explain what happened-"

"Celebi, the Time Travel Pokémon," recited Serena, remembering all of the words spoken by her Pokédex perfectly. "As its name suggests, it has the ability to travel across time. Plant life flourishes in the very forests in which it has appeared." She crossed her arms. "Sarah sounded so sure of herself when she called me and Ash her parents. She was found with an injured Celebi. She looks _just like me_. None of us have ever met her anywhere before. How do you explain that?"

"She probably saw you guys on TV or something. You know, there was a whole paparazzi report on Diantha and I saw you guys in it."

"You did?!" all four shouted simultaneously. The memory of their meeting with the Pokémon Champion Diantha returned to their minds.

"Yeah. That paparazzi crew was following Diantha around so sneakily, even when she was in disguise, and they recorded you four meeting up with her and talking to her in the distance. I've had that kind of thing before. She might've seen that and spotted you and Ash, Serena, and she decided to make you two her parents."

"Why would she wanna do that?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"I don't know. Maybe she's unhappy with her real parents, or she doesn't have any."

"Aw, that's sad!" exclaimed Bonnie, her eyes shimmering in pity.

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne sadly.

"But that doesn't explain the Celebi, Mom," Serena replied, crossing her arms. "Or why she was even out in the forest in the first place, alone and without an adult."

"She probably ran away from her home or orphanage, came across Celebi, and accidentally did something to hurt it."

"And how about her resembling me?"

"She probably changed her appearance so she could look like you. When you were younger, people kept thinking Aunt Layla was your mother since you looked more like her." The former jockey shrugged. "People wouldn't have believed her claims if she looked so different from you or Ash."

"Or it could've been some random coincidence that she looked a lot like you, Serena," added Clemont.

"I had a rival who looked a lot like me and even had the same Pokémon" Ash remarked. "It does makes a whole lot of sense." Serena instantly whipped her head at the direction of her crush. The honey-haired Trainer was extremely shocked that he would agree with her mother's side of the argument.

"Yeah, that does."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" shouted Serena loudly, startling the others. "How about _you_, Mom? Why'd she call you 'Grandma'? You were not there when we met Diantha, so there's no way she could've seen you and decided to call you her grandma." She couldn't help but smirk smugly. "How do you explain _that_, Mom?"

Grace frowned with irritation and replied, "She saw me, noticed that I seemed to be associated with the four of you, decided to sell her part even further, and called me her grandmother." Her blue eyes narrowed suddenly and coldly. "Oh no, please don't tell me that you, of all people, _believe_ that little girl's story, Serena."

"And I'm wrong to?"

Before Grace could respond, the group heard a voice call to them down the hallway.

"Hey, guys! What's going on?"

Heading towards them were Layla and Moose; the former approached Grace immediately.

"Yusif told us you would be here," she said. "He said you found a little girl with a _Celebi_?..."

"Yeah, she's in that room right now. Get this, she's calling Serena her mom and Ash her dad. I think she's a runaway in search for actual parents or something."

Upon hearing that comment, Serena frowned angrily. She didn't know why, but despite the evidence presented to her, she still wanted to _believe_ Sarah...

She turned towards the door to Sarah's room, wondering what to do about the situation...

* * *

><p>Inside her room, Sarah overheard the conversation between her mother and the rest of the group that took place outside. She felt relieved, not only because Serena apparently seemed to be the only one who found some credibility in her story, but because no one else actually believed in it. If anything, this meant that the future most likely would not be disrupted by her actions, and everyone that she knew and loved dearly from that time period was safe. She did feel a little heartbroken she wouldn't get to interact with her parents and other family in this time, but it was better off that way. At least she was still safe with them.<p>

Sarah slid further underneath the covers the bed offered her, hoping that Celebi would recover quickly from its wounds so she could be able to go back home and to the arms of her loving mother... Just remembering the soft embrace her mother always gave her made the seven-year-old drowsy...

The last thing she thought of before falling asleep was her mother smiling at her and giving her the pinkie-promise in the car on that fateful day...

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown location<br>Galope Mountain**

"_Ooooohhhhh_... What _happened_?..."

"What else, Jess, but a classic blastoff?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth had just regained consciousness in the basket of their hot-air balloon, which was now in tatters and dangling over some unknown object.

"This has to be the ten-thousandth time we've been blasted off like this..." James remarked in a deadpan tone.

"Where _are_ we?..." Meowth asked.

"Does it look like I know?" replied Jessie.

"Well, why don't you find out for yourself, Jess?" asked James.

"W-What?! Why me?!"

"I believe it was your turn to check our surroundings every time we're blasted off into a new environment..."

Jessie blinked, then sighed in defeat and nodded reluctantly. The woman moved over towards the side of the basket, and cautiously looked out from it. Once she did, however, she immediately let out a terrified yelp and scrambled back to the center of the basket, her skin almost pale. "Oh, Rattata!" she exclaimed.

"Why, Jessie?" James asked.

"What is it?" added Meowth curiously.

"Um...uh...um-um..."

"Come on, spit it out already, Jess!"

"Um...who's the one that had a fear of heights again?"

"I believe it was you, Jess," James replied honestly, pointing at his teammate in emphasis. "Why do you ask?"

"Well then, you're gonna have the same fear as I do once you realize where we are right now..."

"Huh?"

"What in da world is dat woman talking 'bout?..." asked Meowth in irritation.

James and Meowth moved towards the same side of the basket with Jessie and looked out. Then, the two of them screamed loudly.

They were dangling on the side of a mountain and overlooking the forest down below. There were thousands of trees, all of them spread out across the horizon, their lush and fresh leaves forming an essential sea of green. There was also a river that seemed to originate from the mountain and heading towards Galope Town, which was in plain viewing distance. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the trio held onto each other, letting out one collective conclusion.

"TEAM ROCKET IS SO **DOOMED**!"

A second afterward, Wobbuffet appeared from its Poké Ball and saluted. "Wobbuffet!" it exclaimed.

As soon as the Patient Pokémon appeared, an ominous tearing noise was heard, and the basket abruptly lurched downward. The trio's grips on each other tightened; moans of fear emerged from their mouths as the tearing continued and the basket continued to slowly inch downward dangerously.

"Oh no, Wobbuffet's one too many for the balloon to handle!" James exclaimed.

"Agh, you idiot!" snapped Jessie as she pulled out her Poké Ball. "Return, and stay returned for once, will ya?!"

"Wob-" began Wobbuffet, but before it could complete its chant, the Poké Ball already recalled it back into its sanctuary.

As soon as the Patient Pokémon disappeared, the tearing stopped after a couple of seconds, but the trio remained still, fearing that even the slightest of movements could spell their dooms. After a few minutes of remaining still and silent, the three Team Rocket members slowly began to calm down and formulate a strategy.

"Okay, okay, that isn't all that bad," James said, trying to stay positive. "This is just like all of the times we've been blasted off and landed in a tree. Only higher..."

"Well, this is definitely not a tree, James," snapped Jessie angrily. "This is a _mountain_. It's a 180-degree turn from the usual predicaments we have."

"Well then, how exactly do you reckon we're supposed to get outta here? Because I don't have any ideas."

"Are you serious, James?! I thought you were a master at getting us out of these kinds of predicaments!"

"Ya tink we could climb up to da rock?" interjected Meowth nervously, pointing a clawed finger at a nearby rock that seemed stable.

"It might take us hours to get to the top," Jessie replied.

Then, the trio instinctively peered out of the basket and directly down below. They noticed a stone mountain trail hundreds of feet below them.

"We could try ta go to da bottom," Meowth suggested, trying to sound as calm and matter-of-fact as possible.

"That's where we usually wind up anyway..." moaned James sadly.

"Wonder how long it would take..." Jessie remarked nervously.

"About three seconds if we jump," replied Meowth, waving his paws in emphasis.

The trio was silent for a moment. Then...

"Déjà vu?" Meowth asked.

"Whatever, Meowth. Let's try and strategize our way out of this lil'-" began Jessie.

However, she was suddenly cut off when the tearing of the balloon's fabric resumed, quickly followed by an even more ominous rumbling sound. Looking towards the face of the mountain, they noticed that _a piece of it_ seemed to be slowly breaking off and it was taking the balloon along with it. The trio immediately held onto each other again and screamed as the rock eventually broke off, plunging down towards the mountain trail and taking the balloon (and Team Rocket) them.

"TEAM ROCKET'S BLAST-" began the panicked trio, but their trademark chant was cut off when their wrecked balloon crash-landed prematurely along with the large rock. Fortunately for them, they managed to survive the crash, albeit with several cuts and bruises sustained in the process.

"Ow..." James moaned as he staggered out of the balloon basket. "They don't pay us enough for this kind of stuff..."

"Yeah..." replied Meowth, nodding in agreement. "We should patition for a raise or someting..."

"WATER!" Jessie suddenly shouted.

"What?" James and Meowth asked, not paying attention.

"**WATER!**" The magenta-haired woman pointed upward, and her colleagues followed the direction of her fingertip. Then, their eyes widened.

A torrent of water was falling towards them from the mountain.

"THIS KIND OF BLASTING OFF-" Meowth screamed.

"WE DON'T NEED!" completed Jessie and James as all three began sprinting up the trail.

"Déjà vu?"

"SHUT UP, MEOWTH!"

The trio ran far enough for them to avoid the torrent of water as it violently splashed down the trail, including the rock and their balloon. Looking up to see where it was coming from, they realized that it was all gushing and spraying out of the crevice left behind by the collapsed boulder. After several seconds of this, yet another couple of boulders eventually dislodged themselves and collapsed onto the crevice, filling it up and effectively stopping the water flow. However, it seemed as if that entire rock structure was in danger of collapsing on itself at any moment, now that one of its vital pieces was missing.

"Whoa...what was _dat_?" asked Meowth in wonder.

"Never mind that," Jessie replied. "What is _that_?!"

She pointed towards the boulder, which was now drenched in water. However, the trio was surprised to realize that it was _flickering_, like a malfunctioning television. Whenever it flickered, Team Rocket could see, for a split-second, the outline of some sort of outlandish mechanical structure.

"T-Th-_That_ is supposed to be a boulder..._right_?..." James asked in fear.

"Does it look like it, James?!" exclaimed Jessie in frustration.

"Well, whatever dat is," Meowth said, "it looks _bad_..."

Wobbuffet immediately emerged from its Poké Ball and saluted. "Wobbuffet!"

Then, the quartet watched as the ground beneath the strange object, completely saturated by the water, gave in from said object's weight. Minutes later, the object was now collapsing further down the mountain, taking Team Rocket's balloon with it. James groaned and sulked as he watched both of them disappear out of sight.

"Aw man, all of our supplies were in there. What a waste..."

"So...we're back ta square one..." remarked Meowth. "_Again_..."

"We honestly need to rearrange our priorities."

"Rearrange our _priorities_?" Jessie repeated in shock. "What do you mean rearrange our priorities?"

"Well...isn't it always like this whenever we try to capture the twerp's Pikachu or other Pokémon or even pull off some con? There is always a pattern to these kinds of things. First, we come up with a plan, a marvelous, ingenious plan! Then, we put it into action and dupe lots of clueless folk into giving their money and Pokémon. Everything's going all fine and dandy until, all of a sudden, the twerps show up and somehow see through our plans! Then, we try to make off with our reward, and it seems like we're still gonna triumph! But then, the twerps get the better of us in a battle, and before we know it, we lose our reward and are blasted off with some powerful attack, mostly the twerp's Pikachu's Thunderbolt! After thousands of times of this, it makes you wonder, doesn't it? It's like we are the main villains of some Japanese cartoon show that's been going on for over fifteen years and relies on basic formulas in its episodes. But we're not cartoon villains! We're real people, see!"

Jessie and Meowth had been watching on with deadpan faces as James poured out his soul. Finally, after the blue-haired man finally finished, Jessie responded.

"Um..._what_?"

"Look, what I'm saying is that we should probably retire. From catching the twerp's Pikachu, at least. Avoid the twerps altogether. Remember Unova?"

Meowth nodded, remembering the brief glory they re-experienced in that region. "Ah yes, I remember dat very well. A true moment of our time."

"We need more of _those_ times. Not this repetitive stuff."

"But..." Jessie said in protest, "what about Pikachu? The boss would love to have something that powerful-"

"Forget about Pikachu! What about our success in carrying out plans?!"

"Well, what're we supposed to do about it?! Especially since we don't have our supplies to begin with?!"

Before James could respond, a sudden loud, clanking noise filled the air, silencing the trio. Shivering, they looked back down the trail.

Their eyes widened in utmost terror.

* * *

><p><strong>The Pokémon Center<br>Galope Town**

"She's claiming to be the daughter of your daughter?" Summer asked, an eyebrow raised as Grace explained the entire situation to her and Nurse Joy in the waiting room during a matter of minutes. Nearby were Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and the others, who were sitting on the sofas.

"Yes," replied Grace. "Personally, I don't really believe it, even if Celebi, the so-called Time Travel Pokémon, is involved."

"As much as I respect your opinion, we must consider all possible scenarios, Ms. Yates. Something definitely happened to Celebi that is causing this mess..."

"Well, I just finished my examination of Celebi," Nurse Joy explained. "It has suffered some serious injuries and had a great amount of fatigue, but after a couple of days of treatment here, it's gonna be okay. I am gonna assume the fatigue was brought from it using its powers under a lot of stress, and while it was injured."

"What about Sarah?"

The three women glanced at Serena's direction. "What?" Nurse Joy asked, confused.

"What about Sarah?" repeated Serena. "Did you find anything from her examination?"

"I am so sorry, my dear, but this is a Pokémon Center. While we have the capacity to medically treat both humans and Pokémon, we are only equipped to assess the conditions of the latter. If you were expecting me to find something on Sarah, I wouldn't have found it, no matter how thorough my treatment on her was."

"Oh..." Serena looked down at the floor with disappointment.

"Serena, are you okay?"

The Trainer blinked and looked up to see Ash looking at her. There was a glint of concern in his auburn eyes, something that made her blush slightly.

"Oh, nothing's wrong, Ash," she replied, looking away. "Thanks for asking, though..."

"Well, it definitely looks like something's wrong, Serena. You've been looking down ever since we talked with Sarah. You can tell me what's wrong. I won't judge."

Serena couldn't help but crack a smile. "Oh, Ash. I know you're not the judgmental type of person. I know you never will be one too..."

"Then I don't see the harm in telling me what's wrong. Is it about your Pokémon? Your training? The Pokémon Showcases?"

"No, it's none of them, Ash." Serena sighed softly and continued, "You know...when Sarah said we were her parents, I was... I was..."

She paused, allowing Ash to respond, "You were thinking about being a mom?"

Serena blinked in shock. It wasn't exactly what she was planning on saying, but it honestly would have to do. After all, this was Ash she was dealing with here...

"Yeah..." she replied, her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible.

"You know you're too young to even be a mom, Serena. And even if you were to become a mom, it would be extremely hard for you. I was born when my mom was still young, and especially without a dad, she had to raise me all by herself. I could imagine how hard it must've been for her. She always said I was too adventurous as a child, too adventurous for my own good." He then chuckled. "Guess that's one of the reasons why I wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer in the first place. The thrill of the adventure. But for you, Serena, you still have Pokémon Showcases. If you get yourself a child now, imagine what that'd do to your goal?"

Once again, Serena was in shock. She didn't expect Ash to be this knowledgeable about the subject. Nevertheless, he had a really good point. So, she nodded.

"Yeah, you're right," she said, her voice soft. "I guess...I guess I just got ahead of myself a little back there. Yeah, I guess so..." She looked up at Ash, her blue eyes shimmering with emotion. "Thank you, Ash, for talking to me. You have no idea how much it means to me when you're there for comfort..."

Ash chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up. "Hey, anything for a friend like you, Serena!"

_"Hey, anything for a friend like you, Serena!"_

The Trainer sighed heavily, but fortunately, Ash didn't hear it. Instead, he continued, "Speaking of which, can you imagine us being parents?"

Serena blinked, her cheeks rapidly turning red. "No, not really," she replied quickly.

"Yeah, I honestly cannot imagine the both of us being the parents of a girl like her, no matter how sweet she is. I mean, we're just friends, after all."

Serena's eye twitched upon hearing Ash's latest statement. However, she managed to hold back her agitation and flashed an innocent smile at him. Then, she looked at the hallway, where Sarah's room was located. Whether she was truly her daughter from the future or not, she still felt a strong maternal instinct towards the little girl. Besides, there was something that happened to Celebi, and whatever it was, Sarah might've witnessed it and could be endangered as a result...

For some reason, she could imagine herself sitting in a car with Sarah, smiling down on her...

"Serena?"

The honey-haired Trainer shook her head and found herself looking up at Clemont.

"Oh, yes Clemont?" she asked.

"We should probably get to the lodge," he replied. "It's almost nighttime."

Serena blinked and looked out of the window. She had been so caught up in the recent events that she never noticed it was sundown. She looked back at her friend.

"But what about Sarah?"

"Nurse Joy said that she'll be staying in the Pokémon Center for the night, along with Celebi. She'll call any nearby orphanages tomorrow, see if any of their children had gone missing recently." Clemont then noticed the concerned expression on Serena's face. "It's okay, Serena, she's gonna be fine over here."

"Okay Clemont, if...if you say so..."

"Alright, let's get going, then!" announced Ash. Then, he began looking around. "Wait a minute, where's-?"

"You're a keeper!" Bonnie squealed as she knelt before Summer. "The way you care for Pokémon and rescue them from bad guys? Please, take care of my brother!"

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne happily.

Clemont's face turned red within seconds as he activated his Aipom Arm, which grabbed Bonnie.

"We're _leaving_," he said in a trembling voice as he walked away, Bonnie being dragged right behind him.

"Think about it, Summer!" the little girl called towards the Pokémon Ranger. "Okay? Okay! I'll see you later!"

"Dedenne!"

Serena and Ash merely chuckled at the two siblings before following them out of the Pokémon Center and towards the lodge they reserved. As they did, Serena still continued to think about Sarah. If her mother was indeed telling the truth, that Sarah just didn't have any parents in her life (or at least parents who didn't care for her) and wanted someone to love her and take care of her, then this could mean she could still be like a mother to the little girl, and Ash the father...

She shook her head. As much as she wanted to seize the chance to have some nice moments with Ash, she wasn't so willing to take advantage of a little girl's wants and needs as a means for her own satisfaction. She wasn't that selfish! No, she would just have to find her own way in winning Ash's heart.

...

Nevertheless, she still wanted to stay with Sarah and protect her from whatever seemed to be troubling her...

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown location<strong>

_**"Welcome back, sir."**_

Parker groaned as his eyes slowly fluttered open in response to the voice. The first thing he saw was the holographic computer system that he'd personally designed. The feeling of his leather luxury seat was returning to him. Groaning, he looked around to see if all of the systems were still functional. After confirming the complete functionality of his overall system, he gazed back at the central screen in front of him, his eyes emotionless, almost hollow shells of themselves.

"H-Ho-How long?..." he asked, his voice extremely hoarse, as if he hadn't used it in a long while.

_**"99 years, 11 months, 28**** days, 15 hours, and 54 minutes,"**_ the computerized voice responded.

Parker grunted almost inaudibly, and he placed a hand over his face. He couldn't believe he had been out for _that_ long...

"W-_Why_?... W-WHY was I in s-s-_stasis_...for s-so LONG?"

_**"We were unable to move from our previous position. It only took a miracle to dislodge us, a miracle in the form of a crashing hot-air balloon."**_

The Poacher growled, gripping his pant leg tightly. "Accursed kids...interfering with my...precious affairs..."

_**"Fortunately for you, sir," **_the voice continued,_** "you were transported to a period in the past by Celebi. Unless you wished to see any historical events unfold for yourself, then you have not missed anything of significance. There is no need to indulge in any distress."**_

"Wha..." The Pokémon Poacher's memory was slowly but steadily returning to him. "...What about...Celebi?..."

_**"It is located approximately 128 miles away, somewhere within a nearby settlement called Galope**** Town."**_ The screens began showing Parker pictures of the town. _**"And yes, indeed it is the past version of Galope City. At this point of time, it is relatively small, small enough that it does not have its own Officer Jenny and relies on those stationed in nearby Shalour City and Coumarine City. Greatly isolated in the forest encompassing Route 12. There's no need to worry about any real interference if you simply decide to reclaim Celebi there and then."**_

Parker closed his eyes as he removed his hand from his face. Exhaling softly, he opened his eyes.

"What is our current power level?" he asked, his voice recovering.

_**"Below fifty percent. With our power source beginning to run out, I attempted to replenish it, but the power acquired was still not enough."**_

Parker grunted again, this time more loudly. "We're gonna need more power before we can commence with the mission."

_**"Galope Town seems to be recovering with its power-"**_

"No. We cannot attract any suspicion. ...Send out the Horde. Tell them to find Celebi and bring it back to me. _Covertly_."

_**"As you wish, sir. Oh, and sir?"**_

"What?"

_**"It appears that the camouflage device was exposed to water."**_

"I don't need to give you an order for this. Reactivate the camouflage."

_**"As you wish, sir."**_

With that, Parker let out a long groan. He couldn't believe he had traveled through _time_, to the _past_. He didn't really think the legend about Celebi was actually true. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized how valuable Celebi was. It was no wonder why his employer had decided to hire him, of all the Poachers in the business, to carry out this specific job. If he had been thinking about it any better, he could just take Celebi for himself...

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown location<br>Galope Mountain**

At that point, Team Rocket had concealed themselves behind a large slab of rock, still shivering from what they had just seen.

"What in da woyld _was_ dat ting?!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Does it look like I know, Meowth?!" replied Jessie angrily. "Why should I wanna know what it is?! I'd rather know Arceus's rage!"

"Whatever it is," said James, "it's obvious we shouldn't be sticking our noses into its business."

"Like dey all say," said Meowth, "whenever da going gets tough, Team Rocket gets going!"

"Yeah, on the double..." James replied in an unenthusiastic, deadpan tone.

"Go Team Rocket..." said Jessie fearfully.

They prepared to leave from their shelter, but paused for a moment.

"Déjà vu?" Meowth asked.

Just then, the trio heard another mechanical noise. Intrigued, they cautiously peeked out from their rock's shelter. Then, their eyes widened again, this time in awe.

* * *

><p><strong>Route 12<br>Near Galope Town**

As darkness fell and stars began to appear in the nighttime sky, the forest that surrounded Route 12 was silent, save for the chirping of some Bug-type Pokémon. At the clearing located near the place where Sarah first regained consciousness, it was as empty as any other location in the forest.

Then, a flash of light appeared for a split-second, and seconds later, shards of green crystals appeared in midair, revolving around what appeared to be a portal...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So, what do you guys think 'The Horde' is supposed to be? And it looks like Sarah managed to get herself out of a potentially awkward and sticky situation. Do not worry y'all, Serena and Ash will still learn Sarah is their daughter WITHOUT any consequences to the timeline. And we have an actual AmourShipping moment at long last! YAY! :D Sorry such a moment had to take so long; I was trying to coax us into the new universe first and foremost.

Well, I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Klay (guest reviewer):** Can you please be more specific?

**ShugoYuuki123:** No, it's all gonna be set in the present until a certain point.

**theHuntress101:** Fortunately, Celebi is safe for now. And no, there will be no consequences to the timeline if Sarah tells Ash and Serena the truth; she's just being cautious at the moment since she doesn't know that exactly. As for Celebi not being able to take Sarah back to the future, you'll learn that in the next chapter or so.

**Plasma57:** Can you please be more specific?

**Aipom4:** I'm glad you liked that flashback! And don't worry, we'll see Ash and the other children in the future.

**Guest reviewer:** Well, looks like you've got yourself a compromise: Ash and Serena don't know Sarah's their daughter, but they're still obviously gonna have a close friendship in the meantime. Sorry if this chapter was late in your standards.

**thegirlwholived (guest reviewer):** Sorry if you had to deal with the last chapter's cliffhanger.

**masterofthez:** Oh yes, I'm hoping to build up to something involving the future Ash. I'm not gonna reveal what, though. However, you're gonna learn what he does in the future at some point in the story, so stay tuned for that! As for Sarah's characterization, she's uncomfortable around people unless they're strangers. She only reacted positively to the younger Ash and Serena because she clearly recognizes them. However, I am indeed planning on developing her into being more confident and positive around strangers in the story. How exactly I'll do that, though, is something I will not disclose to you. You're gonna have to read the story if you want to see for yourself! Oh, and I'm glad to hear you love the flashback! :D

**iCards:** Can you please be more specific?

**Red (guest reviewer):** Can you please be more specific.

**Ashmn142 (guest reviewer):** Sorry if you had to deal with the last chapter's cliffhanger.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:** Wow, thanks for reviewing every single chapter this story has to date! I'm very glad to hear you are really, REALLY liking this story even better than my "Separation" story! :D Now, Parker is supposed to be an OC of mine, and I honestly do not recall any characters named Parker appearing in the anime who fit my OC's characterization. I am also glad to hear that you like the rival of Charlotte for Serena to win Ash's heart! You will definitely see more of their rivalry soon. Oh, and you shall also learn about why Grace doesn't approve of Pokémon Performing as a goal. I never knew you were a fan of Summer, but I'm glad to know I managed to appeal to that side of you! :D

**WiiFan2009:** Unfortunately, that's obviously gonna be delayed for a bit while longer. But don't worry, we'll see interesting developments and scenarios nonetheless!

**Aprotny:** Just like I said with WiiFan2009, that's gonna be delayed, but we'll see some nice scenes. :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this interesting chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


End file.
